Eastern District of Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. – A Midlothian man was sentenced today to six years in prison for mail fraud, federal program theft, and tax evasion in connection with a scheme to misappropriate millions of dollars from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).

According to court documents, beginning on Aug. 10, 2013, Adam Lamar Harrell, 41, was an employee of VDH and on Sept. 10, 2019, became the Associate Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS). As OEMS’s Associate Director, Harrell was responsible for managing Virginia’s emergency response programs, epidemiology research, and the information technology systems that Virginia’s emergency medical service providers rely on, among other responsibilities.

Harrell used his position to direct payments from VDH to a company he registered and controlled, Strategic Tech Innovations, LLC. Harrell concealed his ownership of and affiliation with Strategic Tech from VDH and OEMS, and used this entity to embezzle funds from his employer through two separate means.

From January 2021 through May 2023, Harrell created 15 fraudulent invoices for services and technology that Strategic Tech would purportedly provide to OEMS. Harrell set exorbitant and non-market prices for the various line items on the invoices, knowing the vast majority of those items would not be provided by Strategic Tech. Without OEMS’s knowledge or approval, Harrell would submit these fraudulent invoices to the Western Virginia EMS Council (WVEMS), a regional emergency medical services council that serves as a pass-through for OEMS payments to vendors. Each of these invoices were paid by WVEMS with OEMS funds. By directing the invoices to WVEMS instead of Accounts Payable at OEMS, Harrell circumvented the requirement that Strategic Tech be approved as a vendor to VDH and OEMS and evaded scrutiny by the Accounts Payable department. As the Associate Director of OEMS, Harrell was able to unilaterally approve the same fraudulent Strategic Tech invoices he drafted.

Harrell deposited each of the checks he illegally received from WVEMS into the Strategic Tech checking account he controlled and used the funds for personal expenses. In total, Harrell received $4,337,395 in OEMS funds. The Consent Order of Forfeiture imposed not only a monetary judgement for the full proceeds Harrell obtained, but also called for the forfeiture of assets purchased using the proceeds, including real estate, vehicles, approximately 95 assorted firearms, a Rolex Submariner stainless steel wristwatch, a TAG Heuer Connected Steel watch, a Breitling Navitmer chronograph watch, a 14K princess cut white gold diamond stud earrings, and proceeds from the sales of certain assets.

The government has been able to recover $660,359.74 from the sales of two real properties, a vehicle, and other assets.

On March 9, 2021, Harrell filed a joint federal income tax return with his spouse for tax year 2020. On the IRS Form Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, Harrell reported being the sole proprietor of Strategic Tech, reporting $193,076 in gross receipts. He falsely reported expenses for Strategic Tech of $200,340, for a net loss of $7,264, fraudulently lowering his taxable income and generating a refund of $934. Harrell then ceased reporting any income from Strategic Tech on the federal income tax returns he filed for tax years 2021, 2022, and 2023. From November 2020 through March 2024, Harrell evaded a total of $1,880,287.34 in income taxes.

In addition to his term of imprisonment, the Court ordered Harrell to pay $6,254,458.72 in restitution to the victims of his crimes.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kashan Pathan, Thomas A. Garnett, and Janet Jin Ah Lee prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-92.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Mosley man pled guilty today to committing insider trading and making false statements about his trading to his employer, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (FRBR).

According to court documents, Robert Brian Thompson, 43, worked as a bank examiner and senior manager with supervisory duties for the FRBR. Due to his position, Thompson was privy to confidential information about certain financial institutions under FRBR’s supervision, including Confidential Supervisory Information (CSI), which is property of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. As an employee of the FRBR, Thompson was also required annually to file a “Form for Employees Involved with Supervision and Regulation,” also called a “Form D.” Among other things, a Form D requires employees to disclose if they have any assets, including any equity interest in any banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System and/or bank holding companies.

According to court documents, from October 2020 through February 2024, Thompson misappropriated confidential information, including CSI, to execute trades in publicly traded financial institutions. In total, Thompson executed 69 trades in seven different publicly traded financial institutions for approximately $771,678 in personal profits. To conceal the scheme, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, Thompson falsely represented on the FRBR’s Form D that he had no equities in any publicly traded financial institutions, and that he had not engaged in any activity that would constitute conflicts of interest, violations of FRBR policies, or violations of law.

Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of insider trading and one count of making false statements. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the insider trading count and five years in prison for the false statements count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge John Perez of Headquarters Operations, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG), made the announcement.

FRB-OIG is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles and former Assistant Chief Leslie S. Garthwaite of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-164.

A Virginia man pleaded guilty today for committing insider trading and making false statements about his trading to his employer, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (FRBR).

According to court documents, Robert Brian Thompson, 43, of Mosley, worked as a bank examiner and senior manager with supervisory duties for the FRBR. Due to his position, Thompson was privy to confidential information about certain financial institutions under FRBR’s supervision, including confidential supervisory information (CSI), which is the property of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. As an employee of the FRBR, Thompson was also required annually to file a “Form for Employees Involved with Supervision and Regulation,” which is also called a “Form D.” Among other things, Form D requires employees to disclose if they have any assets, including any equity interest in any banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System and/or bank holding companies.

From October 2020 through February 2024, Thompson misappropriated confidential information, including CSI, to execute trades in publicly traded financial institutions. In total, Thompson executed 69 trades in seven different publicly traded financial institutions for a total of approximately $771,678 in personal profits. To conceal the scheme, in each year from 2020 through 2024, Thompson falsely represented on the FRBR’s Form D that he had no assets, including no equities in any publicly traded financial institutions, and that he had not engaged in any activity that would constitute conflicts of interest, violations of FRBR policies, or violations of law.

Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of insider trading and one count of making false statements. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the insider trading count and five years in prison on the false statements count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge John Perez of Headquarters Operations, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG) made the announcement.

FRB-OIG is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Della Sentilles and former Assistant Chief Leslie S. Garthwaite of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Inova Health System Foundation, Inova Health Care Services, Inc., and Inova Physician Partners, LLC, (collectively, Inova), located in Falls Church, agreed to pay $2,378,731.06 to settle claims that it submitted claims to Medicaid that contained falsified information.

Inova voluntarily submitted written disclosures to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. Specifically, the disclosure stated that, between Jan. 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2020, Inova had submitted claims to Medicaid for reimbursement, including resubmitted claims for reimbursement, for sterilization and hysterectomy procedures that contained documentation that had been improperly modified by or at the request of one or more Inova employees. These modifications resulted in the claim containing falsified information. Following an internal investigation, Inova took remedial actions and agreed that $1,585,820.71 received from Medicaid was improper.

This settlement resolves federal and state civil claims under the federal False Claims Act, Virginia Code §§ 32.1-312,32.1-313, and 8.01-216 et seq., and common law remedies.

Inova received full credit under the Justice Department’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Beerbower and Kimberly M. Bolton, Assistant Attorney General, Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A North Carolina man pled guilty today to defrauding his business partner of approximately $1.2 million.

In September 2015, James Marshall Cesena, 39, and his business partner, identified in court records as E.P., formed a company identified as Company A. E.P. was the majority owner, and Cesena had a minority stake. From September 2015 to August 2023, Cesena served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In this role, Cesena managed Company A’s financial matters and controlled Company A’s bank accounts.

Cesena took advantage of his position as CFO to embezzle over a million dollars. Between 2016 and 2023, Cesena directed hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to his personal accounts, while informing E.P. that Company A had cash flow issues and was in financial difficulty. Because of these deceptions, E.P. periodically had to delay or forego receiving her salary.

Cesena used Company A’s credit cards and corporate accounts to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal purchases that had not been authorized by the Company A. This included expenditures on vacations, travel and airfare, amusement parks, school, home improvements, and living expenses. From 2020 to 2023, Cesena took out a credit card in E.P.’s name without her knowledge and consent and charged approximately $75,000.

To conceal his fraud, Cesena generated false financial statements, which he provided to E.P. and their business consultant. Cesena also masked his personal expenditures in Company A’s accounting software by labeling them as legitimate corporate expenditures. For example, sizeable payments for alcohol and cruise packages were reported as “Office Expenses.” He then provided these fraudulent records to Company A’s tax preparer. The financial data misreported Company A’s total gross receipts and expenses, and the information was then packaged into corporate tax returns.

To cover Company A’s chronic cash-flow issues caused by his sizeable distributions from corporate accounts, Cesena took out high-interest loans in the name of Company A and E.P., without E.P.’s knowledge or consent. To convince loan officers that he was authorized to take out the loans, Cesena misrepresented that he owned as much as 75% or 80% of Company A. Cesena received at least five loans or lines of credit, on at least one of which Company A ultimately defaulted.

In 2019, Cesena created an email account with Company A’s domain in the name of E.P., which he used to apply for business loans and monitor E.P.’s credit. Cesena used E.P.’s name, date of birth, social security number, and other personal information to fraudulently open accounts or obtain money.

In total, Cesena fraudulently took $1,195,878 through direct transfers, charging personal expenses to Company A’s accounts, and charges to the credit card in E.P.’s name.

Cesena is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9, 2025. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Morgan is prosecuting the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Likhitha Butchireddygari assisted in the prosecution of this case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-223.

This release was updated to reflect a change in the date of sentencing from Jan. 29, 2025, to April 9, 2025.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 16 years and eight months in prison for manufacturing, distributing, and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on Aug. 13, 2023, Chesapeake Police (CPD) responded to four non-fatal overdoses at a hotel in Chesapeake. At least one of the four victims, who mistakenly thought they had ingested cocaine, had to be revived with naloxone (Narcan). CPD was informed that the drugs were sold by a person known as “Eazy,” a local narcotics distributor. CPD identified “Eazy” as Eric Stephon Faulcon, 43.

On Aug. 22, 2023, CPD conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Faulcon, during which he sold 1.44 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and xylazine. On Oct. 3, 2023, Faulcon agreed to sell heroin and fentanyl. With the assistance of another individual, Faulcon sold 1.06 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and xylazine.

On Oct. 17, 2023, CPD executed search warrants at Faulcon’s residence. During the search, investigators recovered 532 grams of fentanyl, 126 grams of methamphetamine, 756 grams of cocaine, a digital scale with residue, packaging materials, $4,732, and a loaded handgun. The firearm, which had been reported stolen, was equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device, rendering the firearm capable of fully automatic fire.

Faulcon was previously federally convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin.  Upon his release from the Bureau of Prisons, he continued to engage in criminal conduct which led to convictions for possession of heroin and two armed bank robberies. He was sentenced to 47 years in prison with 29 years suspended. Faulcon was released from prison on Oct. 25, 2021, and was on supervised probation when he committed the crimes for which he was sentenced today.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin G. Bird 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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-30.

NORFOLK, Va. – Two Norfolk men were sentenced for drug-trafficking and firearms convictions.

According to court documents, in December 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled drug purchase from Javou Jameil Smith, 43, at the residence of Brian Ricardo Hinton, 41, in Norfolk. During the controlled purchase, Smith sold 452 grams of methamphetamine and was in possession of a firearm. Hinton was also present during the controlled purchase.

On Dec. 13, 2023, Chesapeake Police executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence. Smith, who was subject to active arrest warrants in Virginia Beach, attempted to flee and was apprehended after a short pursuit. Investigators searched Smith and recovered 6.05 grams of meth and approximately 1 gram of fentanyl individually packaged for sale. During the search of Smith’s residence, investigators recovered 57 packets containing fentanyl; five tablets containing fentanyl and Xylazine; five tablets containing para-fluorofentanyl, cocaine, and fentanyl; a loaded firearm; digital scales; and materials for the packaging and distribution of drugs.

Police also executed a second search warrant at Hinton’s residence. Investigators located a safe that contained a loaded firearm magazine, a bag with 118 multi-colored tablets containing meth, and a bag containing 13.9 grams of meth. In the same room, investigators found 29 bags of meth. Ten of the 29 bags were tested and confirmed to be 278 grams of meth, with the untested remainder totaling 533.34 grams. Investigators also recovered a firearm, ammunition, packaging materials, and digital scales.

Smith pled guilty on June 14 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. On Nov. 5, he was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison.

Hinton pled guilty on June 17 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. On Nov. 13 he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, 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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:24-cr-49 (Hinton) and 2:24-cr-51 (Smith).

A U.S. government employee working overseas was charged with unlawfully transmitting two highly sensitive classified documents last month.

According to court documents, Asif William Rahman, 34, held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance as part of his role working for the U.S. government. According to an indictment filed in the Eastern District of Virginia on Nov. 7, Rahman, on or about Oct. 17, retained without authorization two documents classified at the Top Secret/SCI level, which contained information relating to national defense, and transmitted those documents to a person not entitled to receive them.

Rahman made his initial appearance in federal court in Guam on Nov. 14. The court ordered Rahman’s continued detention and removal from the District of Guam for further court hearings in the Eastern District of Virginia.

The FBI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a conspiracy to cash fraudulent checks and obtain pandemic relief benefits using stolen identities.

According to court documents, from at least May 2020 through January 2022, Deandre Merritt, aka Dre, Scam Likely, and John Adams, 29, of Hyattsville, Maryland, coordinated and participated in schemes to cash stolen or altered checks and use the personal identifying information of unwitting victims to fraudulently claim pandemic relief benefits. The conspirators used fake identification documents in both schemes.

Merritt and at least one other coconspirator obtained U.S. Postal Service (USPS) arrow keys, which are universal keys used by mail carriers and collectors that can unlock various USPS collection boxes. Merritt and his co-conspirators stole checks from USPS collection boxes. The conspirators then created fraudulent checks by altering stolen checks or creating new fraudulent checks using the checks’ information such as the payees’ names, addresses, and account numbers, as well as the routing number of the bank.

Merritt conspired with a bank teller who would tell Merritt if a check could be cashed, and Merritt would provide conspirators with checks and direct them to the teller. Among the conspirators Merritt directed to cash checks was Sylvester E. Hawkins II, 31, of Buffalo, New York.

Merritt and Hawkins worked with Trevon Thompson, aka Rell and Zoe Bands, 23, of La Plata, Maryland, and other coconspirators to obtain illegitimate identification documents, including driver licenses and passport documents, in the names of other people, but which pictured Thompson or Hawkins. Merritt and Thompson then used these illegitimate identification documents in various fraudulent schemes, such as obtaining cellphones, opening bank accounts, and obtaining debit cards, credit cards, loans, and lines of credit. Merritt recruited individuals, including drug addicts, to go into banks with the illegitimate identification documents as necessary.

Thompson, Merritt and Hawkins used an illegitimate driver license in the name of an identity theft victim to apply for and receive a loan of approximately $20,833 through the Paycheck Protection Program, a pandemic relief program.

Merritt, Thompson, Hawkins, and other co-conspirators used the fake identification documents and stolen personal identifying information to apply for pandemic and unemployment insurance (UI) benefits intended to assist those who lost their jobs through no-fault of their own or whose employment was negatively impacted by COVID-19.

Over the course of the bank fraud conspiracy, Merritt directed at least 15 individuals into bank branches, and the overall bank fraud conspiracy caused an actual loss of at least $575,579. The overall wire and bank fraud conspiracy related to the fraudulent pandemic and UI benefit applications caused an actual loss of at least $506,308. An additional loss of approximately $20,833 was caused by the fraudulent PPP loan. The conspiracy used the personal identifying information of at least 10 victims.

Thompson pled guilty on Aug. 1 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. On Oct. 18 he was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

Hawkins pled guilty on July 17 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On Nov. 5 he was sentenced to one year and three months in prison.

Merritt pled guilty on Aug. 27 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. He was sentenced yesterday to five years and six months in prison.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Robeson and Kimberly M. Shartar prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-98.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents, on Oct. 12, 2023, Fairfax County Police (FCPD) conducted a controlled buy of 200 counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl, xylazine, and para-fluorofentanyl from Jahrulle Terrence Whyte, 29, of Glen Burnie. On Oct. 25, 2023, FCPD conducted another controlled purchase of 15,000 fentanyl pills from Whyte. Whyte also brought an additional 2,000 fentanyl pills to the pre-arranged deal. Whyte was taken into custody by law enforcement and all 17,000 pills were seized.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hahn prosecuted the case.

Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-118.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Fayetteville, North Carolina, man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on April 28, Kevin T. Christian II, 35, was operating a motorcycle on I-295 Northbound in Hanover County without taillights after dark. When Virginia State Police (VSP) attempted a traffic stop, Christian did not immediately pull over, continuing for two minutes with VSP behind him with lights and sirens activated. Christian eventually stopped on the shoulder of an exit ramp.

Christian’s motorcycle had an expired registration tag, tape covering one of the digits on its license plate, and at the front of the motorcycle a large wooden club was strapped to the handlebars. The club was broken on one end and on the other end was a metal nail or screw protruding from the bottom. Christian was wearing a vest with “Wheels of Soul” and “1%er” markings indicating his membership in a motorcycle gang.

Christian had a .38 caliber handgun in his pocket, which was discovered and recovered during a pat down. In October 2018, Christian was convicted of unlawful wounding. As a previously convicted felon, Christian cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Christian is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2025, and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-110.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pled guilty today to possession of a machinegun, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on June 8, Taekwon Malik Morris, 27, was driving a vehicle with expired temporary tags in Virginia Beach when Virginia Beach Police (VBPD) officers pulled up behind him at an intersection. Morris got out of the vehicle and began to inspect his rear tires. As officers approached Morris and told him that he was being stopped, he fled.

After a brief chase, Morris was apprehended. Officers located a 9mm handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device (MCD) on the driver-side floorboard in plain view. Officers also recovered three pills containing Oxycodone, 91 pills containing fentanyl, and $8,887 bound in rubber bands from Morris during his arrest.

Morris previously was convicted of grand larceny of a firearm. As a felon, Morris cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Morris is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Cheney is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-99.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Arlington resident was sentenced today to two years in prison for obtaining another person’s healthcare information and destroying evidence in a federal investigation.

A federal jury convicted Trent James Russell, 34, on July 31. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from 2017 to 2019, Trent James Russell, 34, was employed by an organ donation coordination entity, which allowed him access to certain electronic medical records. In Jan. 2019, Russell remotely accessed the medical records of a federal official and took a screenshot of the official’s protected health information.

After Russell learned his access to the health records was disabled on Feb. 10, 2019, he formatted his hard drive two days later to destroy and alter evidence and obstruct the investigation. When FBI agents interviewed Russell on Feb. 21, 2019, Russell falsely stated that his cellphone had been stolen and provided agents with his secondary hard drive, rather than his primary operating system drive, in a further effort to obstruct the investigation.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Bedell and Laura D. Withers prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-195.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Farmville woman pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud relating to her role in a conspiracy to set up a fake company and associated bank account to cash a stolen check for nearly half a million dollars.

According to court documents, on Sept. 21, 2021, a North Carolina business issued a check for $468,477.13 to a subcontractor, Summit Solutionz, Inc., made payable to “Solutionz,” and placed the check in the mail. At some point between Sept. 21, 2021, and Sept. 27, 2021, members of the conspiracy stole the check.

On Sept. 27, 2021, a member of the conspiracy incorporated “The Solutionz GA, Inc.” in Georgia. Pia Lawson, 51, was named the “CEO” and “CFO” of Solutionz GA. On Sept. 28, 2021, Lawson opened a business checking account for Solutionz GA and certified that she was the Chief Executive Officer and a beneficial owner of Solutionz GA. On Sept. 30, 2021, Lawson deposited the $468,477.13 check into the Solutionz GA account.

Through a series of financial transactions and transfers, Lawson depleted the fraudulently obtained funds between October and November of 2021, including, for example, the transfer of $65,000 to her personal checking account.

Lawson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2025, and faces up to 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Day is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-106.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Eleview International Inc., Oleg Nayandin, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia, and Vitaliy Borisenko, 39, of Vienna, Virginia, made their initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to a now unsealed complaint charging them with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act.

“We must not allow critical systems and technologies to be transferred to anyone who may use them against America and our global partners,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Guarding against these transfers is imperative, and violations of the laws that protect our national security will be met with ardent prosecution.”

“As alleged, the defendants — a Virginia company and two of its senior executives — conspired through three evasion schemes to circumvent the export restrictions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen. “U.S. companies are responsible for complying with laws that protect our national security. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals and companies who violate these laws and place financial profit over our collective security.”

“This company allegedly used not one, not two, but three different schemes to illegally transship sensitive American technology to Russia,” said Assistant Secretary for the Department of Commerce Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Matthew S. Axelrod. “Today’s charges, against both the company and two top executives, are a prime example of our work to bring to justice both the companies and the corporate executives alleged to have circumvented our rules in search of a fatter bottom line.”

“Export control evasion schemes put the American public at risk by concealing the true recipient,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “In this instance, HSI, working in partnership with our colleagues at Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, uncovered this scheme was supporting a sanctioned country, thus threatening our national security and the safety of other countries. HSI is dedicated to preventing technology with military applications from falling into the wrong hands.”

According to the complaint, between approximately March 2022 and June 2023, Eleview International Inc. (Eleview), a Virginia-based company that operated a freight consolidation and forwarding business; Nayandin, the owner, president, and CEO of Eleview; and Borisenko, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Eleview’s freight forwarding business, allegedly conspired to illegally export goods and technology from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through three countries bordering or near Russia.

As alleged, the defendants operated an e-commerce website that allowed Russian customers to order U.S. goods and technology directly from U.S. retailers, who shipped the items to Eleview’s warehouse in Chantilly. The defendants then allegedly consolidated the packages before shipping them to the Russian customers, often using other freight forwarders as intermediaries, in exchange for a fee. After the Department of Commerce imposed stricter export controls in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the defendants allegedly began shipping items to purported end users in Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan, knowing that the items were ultimately destined for end users in Russia. To facilitate these illegal exports, the defendants allegedly made numerous false statements to the Department of Commerce and other freight forwarders about the end users and ultimate consignees of the items in these shipments.

As part of the conspiracy, the defendants allegedly engaged in three export-control evasion schemes, each specific to a different intermediary country. In the Turkey scheme, the defendants allegedly exported about $1.48 million worth of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey, knowing that the equipment was intended for a Russian telecommunications company that supplied the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service, or FSB. The telecommunications equipment that the defendants allegedly exported illegally as part of the Turkey scheme had military applications, including use by the Russian military to create and expand communication networks in its war effort against Ukraine.

In the Finland scheme, the defendants allegedly exported about $3.45 million worth of goods purchased to Russia through Eleview’s e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. Before consolidating the packages into larger pallets for shipment to Finland, the defendants allegedly affixed to each package a label with a Russian postal service tracking number so that the Russian postal service could easily ship the package to the customer in Russia. The goods that the defendants allegedly exported illegally as part of the Finland scheme included “high priority” items that the Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian “suicide” drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets.

In the Kazakhstan scheme, the defendants allegedly exported about $1.47 million worth of goods to Russia through an entity in Kazakhstan that advertises its ability to deliver goods to Russia. The goods that the defendants allegedly exported illegally as part of the Kazakhstan scheme included controlled, dual-use items.

If convicted, Nayandin and Borisenko face up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

BIS and HSI are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case with past assistance provided by then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh.

The case is being coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Eleview International Inc., Oleg Nayandin, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia, and Vitaliy Borisenko, 39, of Vienna, Virginia, made their initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to a now unsealed complaint charging them with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act.

“As alleged, the defendants — a Virginia company and two of its senior executives — conspired through three evasion schemes to circumvent the export restrictions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “U.S. companies are responsible for complying with laws that protect our national security. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals and companies who violate these laws and place financial profit over our collective security.”

“This company allegedly used not one, not two, but three different schemes to illegally transship sensitive American technology to Russia,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “Today’s charges, against both the company and two top executives, are a prime example of our work to bring to justice both the companies and the corporate executives alleged to have circumvented our rules in search of a fatter bottom line.”

“We must not allow critical systems and technologies to be transferred to anyone who may use them against America and our global partners,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Guarding against these transfers is imperative, and violations of the laws that protect our national security will be met with ardent prosecution.”

“Export control evasion schemes put the American public at risk by concealing the true recipient,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “In this instance, HSI, working in partnership with our colleagues at Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, uncovered this scheme was supporting a sanctioned country, thus threatening our national security and the safety of other countries. HSI is dedicated to preventing technology with military applications from falling into the wrong hands.”

According to the complaint, between approximately March 2022 and June 2023, Eleview International Inc. (Eleview), allegedly a Virginia-based company that operated a freight consolidation and forwarding business; Nayandin, the owner, president, and CEO of Eleview; and Borisenko, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Eleview’s freight forwarding business, conspired to illegally export goods and technology from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through three countries bordering or near Russia.

As alleged, the defendants operated an e-commerce website that allowed Russian customers to order U.S. goods and technology directly from U.S. retailers, who shipped the items to Eleview’s warehouse in Chantilly, Virginia. The defendants then consolidated the packages before shipping them to the Russian customers, often using other freight forwarders as intermediaries, in exchange for a fee. After the Department of Commerce imposed stricter export controls in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the defendants began shipping items to purported end users in Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan, knowing that the items were ultimately destined for end users in Russia. To facilitate these illegal exports, the defendants made numerous false statements to the Department of Commerce and other freight forwarders about the end users and ultimate consignees of the items in these shipments.

As part of the conspiracy, the defendants engaged in three export-control evasion schemes, each specific to a different intermediary country. In the Turkey scheme, the defendants exported about $1.48 million worth of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey, knowing that the equipment was intended for a Russian telecommunications company that supplied the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service, or FSB. The telecommunications equipment that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Turkey scheme had military applications, including use by the Russian military to create and expand communication networks in its war effort against Ukraine.

In the Finland scheme, the defendants exported about $3.45 million worth of goods purchased to Russia through Eleview’s e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. Before consolidating the packages into larger pallets for shipment to Finland, the defendants affixed to each package a label with a Russian postal service tracking number so that the Russian postal service could easily ship the package to the customer in Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Finland scheme included “high priority” items that the Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian “suicide” drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets.

In the Kazakhstan scheme, the defendants exported about $1.47 million worth of goods to Russia through an entity in Kazakhstan that advertises its ability to deliver goods to Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Kazakhstan scheme included controlled dual-use items.

If convicted, Nayandin and Borisenko each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The BIS and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case with past assistance provided by then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh.

The case is being coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Justice and Commerce Departments designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Springfield woman pled guilty today to wire fraud relating to her scheme to embezzle over $250,000 from her employer.

According to court documents, Jennifer Giorffino, 53, served as the administrator for an organization dedicated to accounting for prisoners of war. The organization is financed by donations. Giorffino’s duties included processing donor checks and paying bills of the organization. Only Giorffino and the Chairman of the Board had access to the organization’s bank accounts.

Beginning in approximately October 2022, Giorffino began using debit cards associated with the organization’s bank accounts to make unauthorized personal purchases and payments, including hundreds of purchases from Amazon, payments to her husband’s bank account, payments made through PayPal to Walmart, PlayStation, DoorDash, Instacart, BarkBox, and Stich Fix.

Beginning in October 2023, Giorffino, using the identification of the organization’s Chairman without her approval, applied for at least 30 credit cards and lines of credit, including with Lane Bryant, Kohls, TJ Maxx, LL Bean, B&H Photo, and Mission Lane. Giorffino used one of the fraudulently-opened credit cards to make $36,278.29 in purchases. Giorffino paid off the credit cards every month until April 2024 using the organization’s bank accounts.

Between Oct. 3, 2023, and April 14, 2024, Giorffino checked the Chairman’s credit through a major credit reporting company 37 times to maintain an understanding of the Chairman’s creditworthiness for credit applications. During the same period, using the Chairman’s identification, Giorffino sought preapproval for small business loans and lines of credit 78 times.

In February 2024, Giorffino opened a checking account in the organization’s name. Giorffino added that account to the organization’s online donation platform and began diverting donations meant for the organization into her fraudulently-opened account. In total, Giorffino diverted $29,746.67 in organization funds into her account, including online donations and 121 checks totaling $13,844.59. The checks were forwarded from the organization’s official address to a UPS mailbox controlled by Giorffino.

By March 2024, Giorffino had largely emptied the organization’s bank accounts and began forging bank statements and writing checks she knew would be returned for insufficient funds. Around the same time the theft of funds was discovered, the Chairman’s credit card was declined at a restaurant because of Giorffino’s activity. At an April 2024 board meeting, Giorffino provided the Board falsified bank statements showing that the organization’s accounts had approximately $206,000 when the actual account balance was only $10,000.

In total, Giorffino misappropriated approximately $257,259 from the organization and the organization’s bank accounts.

Giorffino is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon Jr. is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-224.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on Feb. 28, 2024, Israel Maleek Mangram, 23, failed to maintain his lane while driving on Interstate 95. A Trooper with Virginia State Police ran the information on the vehicle and learned that the owner had a suspended driver’s license. The Trooper could not see the driver, so he initiated a traffic stop to investigate. Mangram pulled the vehicle onto the right shoulder of the interstate but did not stop. Mangram returned to the travel lanes of the interstate and increased his speed to over 100 mph. After a high-speed chase, Mangram lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a single-family home.

Mangram tried to climb out of the passenger-side window. The Trooper approached Mangram, who was lying next to the passenger-side of the SUV and ordered Mangram to show his hands. Lying next to Mangram was a handgun. Mangram was convicted of robbery on Aug. 5, 2020. As a previously convicted felon, Mangram cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

Mangram is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2025, and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-109.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Georgia man pled guilty today to his involvement in a conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco cartel). On Aug. 5, a co-conspirator pled guilty for his role in the same money laundering scheme.

According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national residing in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China.

On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

Tan and Chen pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of their pleas, Tan and Chen agreed to forfeit numerous assets to the government, including a residence, a firearm, body armor, and more than $270,000 in seized currency. Additionally, they agreed to the imposition of money judgments totaling over $23 million. Chen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and Tan is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. Chen and Tan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.

The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, investigated the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; the DEA’s offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina; and the Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Georgia and Northern District of Illinois.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 24-CR-145 (Tan) and 24-CR-149 (Chen).

A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco Cartel). Earlier this year, on Aug. 5, a foreign national residing in Illinois pleaded guilty for his role in the same money laundering scheme.

According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national residing in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China.

On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Additionally, Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

Tan and Chen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of their pleas, Tan and Chen agreed to forfeit numerous assets to the government, including a residence, a firearm, body armor, and more than $270,000 in seized currency. Additionally, they agreed to the imposition of money judgments totaling over $23 million. Chen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and Tan is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. Chen and Tan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement.

The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; DEA offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina; and the Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office.

Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

NORFOLK, Va. – Four people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine and other drugs in the Tidewater area.  Two others have been sentenced to prison for providing firearms to one of the members of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

By the fall of 2021, Leonard Tromell Brooks, 41, of Virginia Beach, a previously convicted drug trafficker, was conspiring with Kyle Derek Dean, 33, and Katie Loren Harbor, 29, both of Norfolk, to traffic significant quantities of methamphetamine in the Tidewater area. By January 2022, Colin Thomas Costello, 35, of Virginia Beach, had joined the conspiracy.

On March 15, 2022, Dean transported Harbor so she could sell 3.41 grams of meth to an individual in Virginia Beach. On April 20, 2022, Dean sold 2.78 grams of meth to another individual in Norfolk.

On April 6, 2022, Costello sold 26.05 grams of meth, and on April 12, 2022, Costello sold 67.50 grams of meth. On April 22, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Costello in Virginia Beach. Prior to coming to a stop, Costello tossed 58.83 grams of meth from the vehicle's window.

On April 20, 2022, and again on April 21, 2022, Brooks sold cocaine from a residence in Virginia Beach. Law enforcement learned that Brooks was expecting a shipment of meth from his Florida-based supplier to arrive in Virginia via train on April 22, 2022. They intercepted the courier and recovered five kilograms of 100% pure meth, commonly known as "ice" or “crystal” meth. On at least two previous occasions, Brooks ordered similar quantities of crystal meth for further distribution by Dean, Harbor, and Costello.

On April 22, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants at residences affiliated with all four conspirators. From Brooks’ residence, investigators recovered 219 grams of cocaine, 7.9 ounces of marijuana, $26,388 in drug-trafficking proceeds, a .45 caliber handgun, and ammunition. From Dean and Harbor’s residence investigators recovered 3.07 grams of meth, a ledger showing amounts of money owed to Dean and Harbor, digital scales, and packaging materials, as well as another 4.12 grams of meth found on Dean’s person. From Costello’s residence investigators recovered 405 grams of meth, quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, packaging materials, scales, and 14 firearms.

As a previously convicted felon, Costello could not legally possess firearms. Jonathan Morrell Scott, 37, of Virginia Beach, straw purchased four firearms for Costello prior to April 22, 2022. On July 26, 2023, Scott pled guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. On Dec. 12, 2023, Scott was sentenced to four months in prison.

Costello’s girlfriend, Amber Dawn Hendricks, 40, of Virginia Beach, purchased four firearms in the two months preceding the search, including two purchased just two days before the search, despite being a user of and addicted to meth. She kept those firearms in the residence she shared with Costello. Despite being prohibited from possessing firearms, she and Costello kept a total of 11 firearms in their bedroom at the residence. On May 7, 2024, Hendricks was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On Oct. 2, 2024, Hendricks was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

On Jan. 26, 2023, Costello pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; manufacture, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance; and possessing, using, and carrying firearms in furtherance of and during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. Costello was sentenced today to 20 years in prison.

On Jan. 24, 2023, Dean pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. On June 15, 2023, Dean was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

On Jan. 12, 2023, Harbor pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. On June 1, 2023, Harbor was sentenced to nine years in prison.

On Jan. 10, 2023, Brooks pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; manufacture, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance; and possessing, using, and carrying firearms in furtherance of and during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. On May 12, 2023, Brooks was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C.; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police; Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin G. Bird and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, 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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:22-cr-126 (Brooks, Dean, Harbor, and Costello), 2:23-cr-48 (Hendricks), and 2:23-cr-51 (Scott).

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy pled guilty today to theft of government property after stealing military equipment he later sold online.

According to court documents, Shawn Claude Crowell, 40, was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic at Naval Station Norfolk from December 2022 to September 2024. Crowell had access to and was responsible for the inspection and inventorying of the military equipment belonging to the Command.

From at least January through June 2023, Crowell stole numerous government items, including seven sets of Night Vision Goggles (NVGs, or NODs), two Matbock Tarsier Eclipse lenses, and eight NVG battery packs. The value of the items stolen by Crowell was at least $164,646.

Between February and May 2023, Crowell used online advertisements to sell five sets of the stolen NVGs to third-party purchasers for $19,947. On March 8, 2023, Crowell listed for sale the two Matbock Tarsier Eclipse lenses, which are regulated by the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Crowell sold the stolen lenses for $300. On April 1, 2023, Crowell sold the eight NVG battery packs for $500.

On May 10, 2023, investigators with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) interviewed Crowell and searched his vehicle. NCIS recovered one of the stolen sets of NVGs from the vehicle.

Crowell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mack Hickman, Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-113.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced yesterday to three years and one month in prison for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes.

According to court documents, on at least three occasions from August to December of 2023, Tyree Lamar Shoulders, 33, passed counterfeit U.S. currency. On Aug. 6, 2023, at a gas station in Suffolk, Tyree Lamar Shoulders, 33, used two counterfeit $20 bills to purchase gasoline. On Aug. 30, 2023, at a convenience store in Suffolk, Shoulders used nine counterfeit $50 bills to buy candy and load $450 onto a bank card. On Nov. 13, 2023, at a gas station in Virginia Beach, Shoulders attempted to use a counterfeit $50 bill and two counterfeit $10 bills to buy gas.

On Dec. 5, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shoulders’ residence in Norfolk and recovered counterfeit $10, $20, and $50 bills.

In 2014 Shoulders was convicted of counterfeiting and forging Federal Reserve Notes, and in 2015 was sentenced to two years in prison.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kang Lee, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Norfolk Resident Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-41.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Aldie man was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison for scheme to defraud dozens of investors in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Missouri, and elsewhere, causing $15 million in losses.

According to court documents, Babu Ramaraj, 47, owned DAB Inspection and Consulting Services, LLC (DAB), a small home contractor with modest revenues doing patio and deck projects. Ramaraj claimed to investors and potential investors that DAB had lucrative contracts with the Federal Aviation Administration, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and others, and was a joint venture partner on a Washington DC Water Clean Rivers Project, for tens of millions of dollars each, supposedly to perform engineering inspection work on huge infrastructure projects.

Ramaraj claimed he needed to make large upfront bond payments to secure the work but could not obtain bank financing because of the relative youth of DAB as a company and the speed with which DAB needed to secure the funding, which was supposedly not feasible with banks.

In support of his claims, Ramaraj supplied to victims falsified contract award letters, invoices, DAB financial records, and other documents to induce dozens of investors to loan funds to DAB. The supposed bonds were never paid.

From January 2020 through May 2024, Ramaraj pitched individuals, including members of his Loudon County cricket league, the opportunity to loan DAB money at high interest rates, annualized at 30% or more.  Using money from later investors, Ramaraj paid initial investors the promised returns to entice them to continue investing and to recruit other friends and family to invest.

After being confronted by two investors and signing an acknowledgment in October 2023 that he had "tampered" with numerous contracts and financial records, Ramaraj continued to make material misrepresentations concerning DAB to other investors and potential investors. Ramaraj was pitching investors up to the time he was arrested on May 30, 2024. He has been held in custody as a flight risk since his arrest.

Instead of paying for the promised bonds, Ramaraj electronically transferred investor funds to his online brokerage accounts to engage in securities trades; wired over $1 million to accounts in India; purchased several automobiles, including several Teslas; obtained real properties; incurred millions in stock market trading losses, and made other payments to fund his lifestyle. Ramaraj took in nearly $40 million and caused losses to investors of approximately $15 million.

In addition to the prison sentence, the Court ordered Ramaraj to pay over $15 million in restitution.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. The Virginia State Corporation Commission assisted in the investigation of this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annie Zanobini is handling asset recovery efforts in the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-147.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 29 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.

According to court documents, after befriending an economically vulnerable woman in 2020, Christopher Digges, 41, moved in with the woman and her child in 2021 after offering to help them by paying rent. On numerous occasions, Digges engaged in sexual conduct with the child and directed her to perform sexual acts to produce Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

Digges bought a residence in Chesapeake on October 18, 2021, and moved the mother and child into it. Digges made clear to the child that he purchased the residence for her and used it to manipulate her when she wasn’t available to him. Digges struck the child in addition to sexually abusing her, and threatened to take away her possessions if she did not comply with his requests or demands.

Digges continued coercing and abusing the child until 2023 when she was 14 years old. In July 2023, the mother provided information to law enforcement that Digges had engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the child and had produced and received CSAM.

The government recovered $169,462.62 from the sale of the Chesapeake residence.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton D. LaForge and Kevin P. Hudson prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-140.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria woman pled guilty today to assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm.

According to court documents, on Dec. 29, 2022, Alexis Amani Smith, 28, entered the AAFES Main Exchange at Fort Belvoir and began to steal several items of merchandise. Smith then walked past the final point of purchase with five items – perfume and earrings valued at $342.99 – without paying.

After Smith exited the Exchange with the merchandise, a loss prevention officer (LPO) of the Exchange approached Smith, questioned her about her apparent theft of merchandise, and requested identification. A verbal altercation ensued. Smith placed the stolen merchandise on the floor, then quickly exited the Exchange and entered her vehicle in the Main Exchange parking lot.

The LPO followed Smith to the parking lot to obtain the vehicle license plate number. While the LPO was standing directly in front of Smith’s vehicle, Smith accelerated the vehicle, striking the LPO’s knees and shins. The LPO placed her hands on the hood of Smith’s vehicle to maintain her balance while yelling for Smith to stop. Smith accelerated again, sending the LPO onto an adjacent vehicle and then onto the pavement. Smith continued to accelerate and left the Main Exchange.

As a result of the vehicle strike, the victim suffered injuries to both her knees, her forearm, and her shoulder.

Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 12, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the plea.

The Fort Belvoir Department of Emergency Services provided valuable assistance on this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Durham is prosecuting the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Kyle Richardson and Margarita Pendarvis provided substantial assistance in the prosecution of the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-168.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for selling counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl.

According to court documents, from at least February to April 2024, Alhagi Gassim Conteh, 30, obtained nearly 4,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills imprinted with “M30,” but which contained fentanyl, and distributed them.

Throughout the conspiracy, Conteh, a convicted felon, used a source in Fredericksburg to obtain fentanyl pills to sell to the confidential source (CS) and others.  Conteh told the CS that his “man” in Fredericksburg was receiving packages of up to 30,000 fentanyl pills at a time, and Conteh sold these fentanyl pills to the CS.

On April 12, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Conteh’s residence in Alexandria and recovered approximately 500 fentanyl pills, cocaine, two magazines with a total of 36 rounds of ammunition, a digital scale, and a handheld pill press.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin S. Starr prosecuted the case.

Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-140.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Bristow man pled guilty today to theft of government property.

According to court documents, from at least Nov. 6, 2023, to Aug. 1, 2024, Xavier Mittakarin, 38, was an employee for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), assigned to a CBP facility in Lorton where 27 U.S. government laptop computers were stored.

On Dec. 13, 2023, Mittakarin removed the 27 laptops, valued at a total of over $67,000, from the facility, intending to sell them. On March 22, 2024, Mittakarin sold one of the laptops via eBay to a purchaser in California, who paid $2,803.26. On May 22 and May 27, Mittakarin sold eight more laptops via eBay to another purchaser in California, who paid a total of $16,706.76.

On Aug. 1, Mittakarin attempted to sell 18 laptops to another purchaser, who was actually an undercover officer, for approximately $28,000. Mittakarin brought the laptops to a prearranged meeting place and time, where he was arrested and the laptops were recovered from his vehicle.

Mittakarin is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27, 2025. He faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kris Cline, Director of the Federal Protective Service; Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security; and Mattew Klein, Assistant Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ryan is prosecuting the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Antara Saikat Joardar provided substantial assistance in the prosecution of the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-191.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Salvadoran national and member of the Uniones Locos Salvatrucha (ULS) clique of the violent Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) gang yesterday on charges relating to his participation in the gang’s criminal enterprise, including six murders and additional murder conspiracies.

On Aug. 25, 2018, Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray, aka German Alexander Ramirez Lopez, Buky, and Desquiciado, 27, met other MS-13 members in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to murder an associate of MS-13's Directos Locos Salvatrucha clique, identified in court records as K.A.C. MS-13 leadership in El Salvador had approved the murder because they believed K.A.C. had betrayed MS-13. That evening, they met K.A.C. at the residence of an MS-13 member in New Bedford. After the group ate dinner together, they beat and strangled K.A.C. to death. The conspirators then dismembered K.A.C.’s body, placed his remains in trash bags, and buried the remains in a wooded area near New Bedford. Alas Candray and other conspirators were promoted in the MS-13 ranks for their participation in the murder.

“This case is a stark reminder of the violence and disregard for human life inherent in MS-13’s criminal enterprise,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Their deadly activities, from flooding our streets with dangerous narcotics to the brutal murders by which they attempt to impose their presence, will not go unchecked. Their crimes will be met with the full attention and resources of this office and our law enforcement partners.”

"Alas Candray committed half a dozen gruesome murders to rise in rank in MS-13, demonstrating a vile disregard for his victims' lives," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. "His conviction is the result of a multiyear investigation worked by the FBI, Fairfax County Police Department, and our federal and local partners. We thank the victim's families for their patience throughout Alas Candray's prosecution and reaffirm our commitment to bringing MS-13 members to justice for terrorizing communities throughout the country."

“This verdict sends a clear message that the community will not tolerate violence, and we will hold those accountable for their actions” said Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police.

In June 2019, Alas Candray and others conspired to murder individuals who frequently gathered to drink in a wooded area in the clique’s perceived territory in Reston. On June 23, 2019, Alas Candray and other members and associates armed themselves with a 9mm firearm, a .45 caliber firearm, and two machetes and traveled to the Hunters Woods area of Reston. The group murdered an individual, identified as J.L.G.M., shooting him and slashing him with a machete.

On Sept. 17, 2020, Alas Candray and others devised a plan to lure a young woman, identified as I.J.P.G., to Colts Neck Road in Reston under false pretenses and kill her because they believed she was associated with a rival gang and had disparaged MS-13 on social media. A co-conspirator exchanged messages with I.J.P.G. via Snapchat, pretending to be a member of MS-13’s rival gang. He and another co-conspirator later picked up I.J.P.G. and drove her to Colts Neck Road, where Alas Candray and another MS-13 member were waiting for them. The four co-conspirators killed I.J.P.G. by taking turns shooting her, primarily in the face.

In March 2021, MS-13 members and associates conspired to murder an individual, identified as S.A.T.L., because they believed he was a member of a rival gang. On March 11, 2021, Alas Candray and other MS-13 members and associates, surveilled S.A.T.L. in Fairfax County and waited for an opportunity to murder him. Alas Candray and his co-conspirators went to an apartment complex on Winterthur Court in Reston where Alas Candray fatally shot S.A.T.L.

On May 30, 2022, Alas Candray and co-conspirators travelled to the Lerner Springs at Reston Apartment Homes and joined others on a footpath behind the complex to patrol the clique’s perceived territory. Shortly thereafter, the conspirators encountered an individual, identified as R.A.P.S., on the footpath. Alas Candray and others murdered R.A.P.S. by kicking him and dropping a large rock on his head as he lay on the footpath.

On June 18, 2022, Alas Candray and a co-conspirator picked up an individual, identified as F.R.A.R., from Reston and drove him to Seneca Regional Park in Fairfax County. Alas Candray, and his co-conspirators believed that F.R.A.R. had disrespected MS-13 and violated its rules. After arriving at a pre-selected location in the park, Alas Candray and several co-conspirators murdered F.R.A.R. by beating him with a baseball bat and stabbing him. They then dismembered F.R.A.R.’s body and buried F.R.A.R.'s remains in a clandestine grave.

On Aug. 17, 2022, Alas Candray instructed a relative to relay a message to other ULS members and associates. Using coded language, Alas Candray, instructed a co-conspirator to get rid of ammunition, warned ULS members and associates that law enforcement had pictures of them, and advised them to move. The relative relayed the message the following day.

The jury convicted Alas Candray of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, five counts of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, five counts of murder in aid of racketeering, and three counts of use of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment on each of the five murder counts when sentenced on Jan. 30, 2025. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Blanchard, Megan Braun, and Natasha Smalky are prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-178.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) Jordan Harvey, Avi Panth, and Anthony Mozzi will lead the Office’s efforts in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5, 2024, general election. AUSAs Harvey, Panth, and Mozzi have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the Eastern District of Virginia, and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Aber. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Aber. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. To respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs/DEOs Harvey, Panth, and Mozzi will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.”

Contact information for the DEOs is as follows:

Northern Virginia - Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey, 703-299-3700

Tidewater region - Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mozzi, 757-441-6331

Central Capitol region - Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth, 804-819-5400

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The FBI field offices in the Eastern District of Virginia can be reached by the public at:

Washington Field Office - 202-278-2000

Richmond Field Office 804-261-1044

Norfolk Field Office  - 757-455-0100

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate,” said U.S. Attorney Aber. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Woodford man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, on April 7, 2023, Theodore William Cathers, 49, uploaded four files of CSAM depicting prepubescent and pubescent children in sexually explicit behavior. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) forwarded a report of the uploaded material to the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD).

On June 27, 2023, VBPD obtained a search warrant for an online storage account belonging to Cathers and recovered approximately 2,200 CSAM files, including images of pre-pubescent children and depictions of bondage and sadomasochism. A large portion of the CSAM files were collage images of prepubescent and pubescent children, partially or completely nude, engaged in sexually explicit acts.

Cathers is a registered sex offender after having been convicted of two counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with Children Under the Age of 15. In 2012, Cathers was discovered naked in the bedroom of two children aged eleven and seven years old. The eleven-year-old informed law enforcement that Cathers came into their bedroom and got into her bed with her. A short time later, Cathers got into the seven-year-old’s bed and removed all his clothing. Cathers was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to 10 years in prison with 10 years suspended.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-17.

This release was updated to show the number of CSAM files identified in Cathers' storage account as 2,200. The original total of 2,900 included 700 files identified as "child erotica."

ALEXANDRIA, Va. –The founder of a Manassas business has agreed to pay $1,000,000 to settle allegations that he falsified payroll amounts to obtain inflated loans on behalf of True Information Assurance, LLC, through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The PPP offered loans to eligible small businesses for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.  PPP borrowers were required to provide their income and supporting documents to qualify for the loan amount. 

Steven T. Covey obtained two PPP loans for True Information Assurance, of which he was owner and President, by submitting loan applications with false payroll figures to SBA-authorized lenders.  Based on these fraudulent applications, True Information Assurance received two inflated loans.  After Covey sold True Information Assurance in 2021, he retained all proceeds from both PPP loans.

The settlement began with a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, United States ex rel. Salman v. Bull Run Capital Investments, Inc., et al. The whistleblower will receive a share of this settlement.

The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Kim and Auditor Peter Melaragni for the Eastern District of Virginia.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit can be accessed on PACER by searching for No. 1:21-cv-852.

The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on October 15, 2024, charging a Washington man with embezzling loan proceeds intended for the development and construction of two commercial real estate projects.

According to the indictment, Christopher A. Harrison, 52, a former National Football League player and real estate developer, allegedly induced and misappropriated loan proceeds intended for the development and construction of two real estate projects: (1) the Model Tobacco Project in Richmond, Virginia; and (2) the Whitaker Park Project in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Harrison allegedly secured loans from Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust (CRBT) for $14,492,057 for the Model Tobacco Project and $7,706,675 for the Whitaker Park Project.  Under the terms of the loan agreements, Harrison was prohibited from using loan proceeds to pay himself or affiliated entities any construction, management, development, or contractor fees or from using the loan proceeds for personal expenditures.

As alleged in the indictment, however, Harrison skimmed loan proceeds intended for the Model Tobacco and Whitaker Park Projects by first creating a straw demolition company, Virginia Demolition LLC, that had no employees, demolition equipment, or office space. Harrison then allegedly created forged and falsified documentation purporting to show that Virginia Demolition LLC did actual work on the projects, including work that predated Harrison’s creation of the Virginia Demolition LLC entity. Harrison allegedly forged the signature of a separate individual, who Harrison falsely represented was the “President” of Virginia Demolition LLC, multiple times across Harrison’s various submittals to CRBT. Harrison also is alleged to have doctored and inflated invoices in the name of a separate construction vendor for Model Tobacco, inducing CRBT to disburse inflated loan amounts. In total, Harrison allegedly submitted over a dozen falsified invoices and lien waivers in draw requests to induce CRBT to disburse over $3.6 million in loan proceeds to Harrison to satisfy purported expenditures.

Harrison allegedly used some of these loan proceeds for his own benefit, rather than applying them to the Model Tobacco and Whitaker Park Projects as required. As alleged in the indictment, Harrison used some of the money he stole for the following personal purchases and expenses, among others:

• Numerous purchases at luxury goods and fashion stores, including over $60,000 in payments to Lenkersdorfer Fine Jewelers to buy Rolex watches.

• Personal expenses, including his home mortgage, landscaping services for his residence, and tuition and tutoring expenses for his minor child.

• Expenses related to a separate construction project — the Petersburg Ramada Inn. For instance, Harrison allegedly used fraud proceeds to pay legal fees to a law firm for Harrison’s litigation against the City of Petersburg pertaining to the project. The Petersburg Ramada Inn was a shuttered building in Petersburg, Virginia. Harrison purchased the property in 2018 and sold it back to the City of Petersburg in June 2022.

Harrison is charged with: wire fraud and mail fraud, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a two-year mandatory minimum prison term Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kashan K. Pathan and Avi Panth are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-152.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two executives at a contractor for the U.S. Air Force (USAF) pled guilty to theft of government property after diverting over $12 million from an Air Force contract to pay for unrelated personal and business expenses.

According to court documents, Thomas D. Burns, 74, of Gainesville, and Daniel B. Tolley, 63, of Purcellville, founded SP Global, Inc. (SPG) in 2012. Burns served, at various times, as Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board, and President. Tolley served, at various times, as Chief Technology Officer, President, and a member of the Board of Directors. In 2016, SPG incorporated SPG Institute, Inc. (SPGI).

On Dec. 20, 2017, the United States Air Force (USAF) issued a Request for Information to initiate a collaborative research consortium for developing autonomy technologies, the Autonomy Research Collaboration Network (ARCNet).  SPGI bid on and was ultimately awarded the project for over $196 million.

SPGI’s payment of subrecipients for work performed under the contract relied upon “advance payments” from the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), which allowed SPGI to pay for research efforts in a faster, commercial-like manner. SPGI was to receive 4% of each advance payment to cover ARCNet operations and overhead. Only Burns and Tolley exercised control over bank accounts belonging to SPG and SPGI, including the SPGI ARCNet account that received advance payments intended to be held in trust for payment to subrecipients. Between March 28, 2019, and June 23, 2020, the USAF and AFMC, through the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, made a total of $27,250,000 in advance payments to the SPGI ARCNet account.

SPG had previously accumulated large debts at high interest rates from a private lender in connection with its management of a prior government project and other business expenses.  Those debts were personally guaranteed by Burns, Tolley, and their spouses. SPG also had spent large amounts of money on expanding its office space and maintaining staff. Burns repeatedly told SPG executives and directors that he had a “family trust” worth approximately $70 million that he could “break” at any time to make good on any debts.  Burns never provided records to SPG to prove the trust existed, that it had the assets claimed, or that he had the legal right to “break” the supposed trust.

In light of SPG’s revenue shortfalls and millions in personally guaranteed debts that were coming due in 2020, Burns and Tolley agreed to take “short term loans” exceeding the 4% overhead allowance from advance payments made to SPGI.  Burns told Tolley and others that he could use his family trust to replace the government funds taken from SPGI, and that he preferred to take the money intended for subrecipients rather than breaking his trust due to potential personal tax consequences to him. Burns and Tolley directed SPG employees to list some of the transfers from SPGI to SPG as “short term loans,” which SPG failed to secure against Burns’ claimed assets.

From January 16, 2020, through Aug. 28, 2020, Tolley transferred $11,878,000 from SPGI bank accounts to SPG’s business account. The converted ARCNet money was used to cover SPG payroll, SPG business expenses, to discharge personally guaranteed debts, and to pay tens of thousands of dollars to Burns and Tolley. For example, Tolley wrote checks from the SPG business account to Burns for $35,000 for “Repayment of Loan,” to SPG subsidiaries totaling $111,027, and to his personal business venture in Wythe County for $7,500. On one occasion, Burns and Tolley directed a wire payment of $4,683,979.72 to a private lender to cover business loans that were personally guaranteed by Burns, Tolley, and their spouses.

Using money transferred from the SPGI ARCNet account to the SPG business account, Tolley wrote checks to himself totaling at least $115,000. Over $300,000 of the SPGI ARCNet account transfers to the SPG business account went to pay credit card bills for Tolley and Burns. On March 23, 2020, Tolley wrote a $150,164.56 check from the SPG business account to a private lender for loans he and Burns had personally guaranteed.

An SPGI senior employee, who was a former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, strongly advised against use of ARCNet funds from the USAF for SPG business, telling Burns and Tolley that they were not entitled to use ARCNet money for unrelated purposes. A week later, Burns executed a “personal guarantee” drafted by company counsel to personally repay $3,640,000 of ARCNet funds received from the USAF. Burns did not have the personal funds or trust assets to back this personal guarantee.  The USAF was never consulted about this plan to convert the ARCNet funds to SPG for payment of previous debts and other expenses.

Beginning in July 2020, after the vast majority of Tolley’s “short term loan” transfers, SPGI failed to pay subrecipients against submitted invoices.  Near the end of September 2020, Tolley wrote a check for payment of a subrecipient in the amount of $3,000, for which the account had insufficient funds. The bounced check set off concerns that ultimately led to the discovery of the conversion of over $12 million of ARCNet funds for the benefit of SPG, Burns, and Tolley, at the expense of the government and subrecipients.

In a letter to the USAF dated Jan. 5, 2021, Burns falsely claimed the lack of payments was the result of “significant accounting issues” that would soon be fixed. Burns and Tolley also stated that subrecipients would be paid once investor money arrived from overseas.  No investor money ever arrived, and subrecipients performed unpaid work and suffered losses. The ARCNet consortium was set back significantly due to the actions of Tolley and Burns.

Tolley pled guilty on July 10 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14, 2024.  Burns pled guilty today and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30, 2025.  Each faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brigadier General Amy Bumgarner, Commander of the Office of Special Investigations for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force; and David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea.

The AFMC Law Office, Procurement Fraud Division provided substantial assistance in this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth R. Simon Jr. and Russell L. Carlberg are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya D. Song and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Pedersen assisted the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:24-cr-215 (Burns) and 1:24-cr-148 (Tolley).

RICHMOND, Va. – A Providence Forge man pled guilty today to embezzling funds from his former employer, the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program (Birth-Injury Program).

According to court documents, John Hunter Raines, 38, was the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director of the Birth-Injury Program. The Birth-Injury Program pays monetary compensation to families of infants who suffer from brain or spinal cord injuries resulting from the birth process that render the infant developmentally and/or cognitively disabled. Raines’ role required that he oversee the finances of the Birth-Injury Program, including approximately $650 million in investments in 2023.

From at least January 2022 through October 2023, Raines stole over $4.8 million from the Birth-Injury Program, including by using his access to the Birth-Injury Program bank account to initiate at least 59 separate wire transactions, sending funds to bank accounts in Raines’ own name. Raines also used the Birth-Injury Program debit card for personal gain. Raines spent embezzled Birth-Injury Program money on various personal expenses. For example:

• Raines purchased numerous vehicles, including eight luxury golf carts for over $160,000 and a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban;
• Raines spent over $100,000 on gambling, including at Rivers Casino in Portsmouth, Virginia, Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, Virginia, and the Virginia Lottery;
• Raines paid at least $29,000 to an intimate partner and tens of thousands of dollars to a bank account in the name of Raines’ wife;
• Raines spent over $9,000 on private limousine services, including to chauffer Raines and his guests in a Mercedes limousine from Raines’ house to Virginia vineyards;
• Raines made numerous purchases of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Dogecoin, and transferred funds to his brokerage accounts;
• Raines paid tens of thousands of dollars towards his student loan debt, his mortgage, and other loans;
• Raines paid over $125,000 for private jet travel for Raines’ friends and family. As an example, Raines paid over $34,000 to travel with his wife and his friends to Nashville, Tennessee, for three days in a private jet; and
• Raines spent over $19,000 to purchase eight separate 2022 1-oz American Gold Eagle Bullion coins and a 100-oz silver bar.

As a financial control on the Birth-Injury Program, Virginia Code § 38.2-5015(B) required an independent certified public accountant selected by the Birth-Injury Program’s board of directors to complete an audit of the program's accounts each fiscal year. Raines deliberately impeded the statutorily mandated audit process by failing to timely provide the Birth-Injury Program’s files to auditors when requested. Due at least in part to Raines’ obstructive conduct, the Birth-Injury Program’s statutorily mandated audits continue to be delayed by over three years.

Raines pled guilty to mail fraud and money laundering offenses. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office; and Michael C. Westfall, State Inspector General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Kashan K. Pathan are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-138.

NORFOLK, Va. – Two men pled guilty for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl after law enforcement followed a treasure map to buried drugs.

According to court documents, on Dec. 7, 2021, Ronald Devon Matthews, 39, was arrested at his home in Isle of Wight County and has remained in custody since the day of his arrest. Following his arrest, Matthews authorized Demetris Alexander Daniels, 34, of Hampton, to live in the residence.

On Aug. 11, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Matthews on three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. On Sept. 29, 2022, Matthews pled guilty to all three counts, and on Feb. 24, 2023, he was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.

Prior to his arrest, however, Matthews buried 383.02 grams of fentanyl in the ground outside his home for future distribution. On May 2, 2023, while incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Petersburg, Matthews drew a map of his property indicating the location of the buried fentanyl. Matthews drew the map on the reverse side of a sales invoice issued in his name at Petersburg FCC. Matthews transferred the map to Daniels, so that the fentanyl could be retrieved and sold. Matthews also contacted a witness and solicited the witness’ assistance in helping Daniels locate the buried fentanyl.

In May or June 2023, Daniels unsuccessfully tried to find the fentanyl by digging in the yard. On June 15, 2023, the witness contacted Daniels by phone and agreed to meet on June 18, 2023, to look for the fentanyl.

On June 16, 2023, law enforcement officers with the Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant on the residence with Daniels present. Investigators located the map in the bedroom used by Daniels. Following the map, the officers discovered the spot where the drugs were buried and recovered a container with the fentanyl inside.

On Sept. 30, Matthews pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.

Daniels pled guilty today to being an accessory after the fact to maintaining a drug-involved premises. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2025, and faces up to 10 years in prison.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and James R. Clarke Jr., Isle of Wight County Sheriff, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, 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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-69.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for possession of a machinegun.

According to court documents, on April 7, 2023, during a livestream on social media, Perry Ike Mason, 29, entered a vehicle and removed from his jacket a .40 caliber handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), a weapon-mounted laser, and an extended magazine.

Detectives with the Richmond Police Department (RPD) viewed the video and learned that there was an outstanding arrest warrant for Mason from Chesterfield County for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in August 2022. Mason later posted another video brandishing the same firearm.

Detectives identified Mason’s location at a restaurant in the Chesterfield Towne Center. After arriving at the location, they observed Mason entering a vehicle in the parking lot and followed him to a residence on Kimrod Road in Richmond. Mason exited the vehicle and proceeded to a shed behind the residence, where officers arrested him on the outstanding warrant.

The detectives searched the shed and discovered the firearm, which still was equipped with the extended magazine, laser, and MCD. The firearm was loaded with 31 rounds in the magazine and another in the chamber. The MCD rendered the semi-automatic firearm capable of fully automatic fire.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon E. Schulz, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, 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.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-131.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federally licensed firearms dealer in King William, Virginia, pled guilty today to making false material statements regarding a missing firearm.

According to court documents, Thomas Christian Berberich owned and operated Pamunkey River Guns, LLC, (PRG). On March 14, 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began an inspection of PRG. After reconciling the firearms at PRG against the open entries in PRG’s acquisition and disposition book, investigators determined that a .410 caliber shotgun had no disposition in PRG’s records and was not present in the store. On March 22, 2023, an ATF investigator instructed Berberich to report the shotgun as lost or stolen and complete an ATF Loss/Theft Form.

On April 5, 2023, Berberich directed a co-conspirator to come to PRG to complete paperwork for the sale of the missing shotgun, which they did on April 7, 2023. Berberich signed the ATF Form 4473, certifying that the information on the form was true, correct, and complete. Neither the shotgun nor any money was exchanged. Berberich sent an email that day to the ATF investigator reporting that the missing shotgun was found on April 6, 2023, in a box in a closet at PRG, and that the shotgun was then sold to a customer on April 7, 2023.

When the investigator returned to PRG on April 12, 2023, Berberich provided him with a copy of the false Form 4473. After the investigation, Berberich forfeited his federal firearms license.

Berberich is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025. The maximum penalty for making false statements is five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright and Peter S. Duffey are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-131.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a national of Côte d'Ivoire on Oct. 1 of taking her child out of the United States and leaving the child there to obstruct a court’s orders granting custody rights to her estranged husband.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in August 2023, Adjoh Dorcas Manou Epse Assoko, 46, and John Franklin Assoko, who were then legally married and living in Potomac, Maryland, gave birth to a child in Washington. Adjoh filed for divorce from John in December 2023.

On December 19, 2024, Adjoh obtained a protective order against John from the Montgomery County District Court on unsubstantiated grounds of domestic violence. The protective order, which has since been rescinded, awarded primary custody of the child to Adjoh and weekend visitation to John.

On April 30, 2024, Adjoh and the child flew from Dulles International Airport (Dulles) in Virginia to France and then to Côte d'Ivoire. Adjoh did not inform John that she was leaving the country with their child and did not contact him after they departed. On May 3, 2024, at the time John’s next scheduled visitation window was to take place, Adjoh and the child had not returned to the United States, violating the custody arrangement outlined in the protective order.

On May 7, 2024, John filed an emergency motion for temporary sole custody of the child. On May 9, 2024, the Montgomery County Circuit Court held a hearing on that motion, which Adjoh attended via Zoom from Côte d'Ivoire. After Adjoh refused the court’s opportunity to bring the child back so that John could effectuate his visitation rights, the court entered an order granting John temporary primary physical custody of the child.

On June 19, 2024, Adjoh flew from Côte d'Ivoire to France and then to Dulles but left the child in Cote D'Ivoire in the care of family members. The FBI learned that Adjoh had booked a flight out of Dulles for June 26, 2024. Agents arrested Adjoh at Dulles before she could board the flight. Adjoh refused to tell the agents the child’s location within Côte d'Ivoire or the names of the relatives in whose care the child had been left.

Adjoh faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 9, 2025. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith J. Edwards and Cristina C. Stam are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-172.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pled guilty today to distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Lawson Heath Wright, 51, was employed at Langley Air Force Base as a contracted cryptologist in 2023 when he distributed CSAM images depicting young children engaged in sexual conduct. Wright posed as an 18-year-old Ukrainian refugee named Lara Urbaszewski and claimed to be having a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old male. On multiple occasions, posing as Urbaszewski, Wright used an email account to send CSAM to users.

On Jan. 24, 2024, Virginia Beach Police (VBPD) executed a state search warrant for the e-mail account, and on April 2, 2024, VBPD, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, executed a state search warrant on Wright’s vehicle and residence. Investigators seized several electronic devices including a cellphone, an external hard drive, laptops, and a micro-SD. CSAM was found on each of these devices. Some of the CSAM on Wright’s devices depicts sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence or sexually explicit images involving an infant or toddler.

Wright is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2025. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Taylor is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-86.

RICHMOND, Va. – Siemens Energy, Inc. (Siemens), pleaded guilty today and has agreed to pay $104 million to resolve the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into violations related to the misappropriation of confidential competitor information. Additionally, Siemens has agreed to a three-year term of organizational probation.

Siemens is a U.S.-based subsidiary of a Germany-based global manufacturing conglomerate, Siemens Energy AG (SMNEY), whose technology is responsible for one sixth of electricity production worldwide. 

“Corporate accountability remains a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The actions of these defendants undermined the integrity of the competitive marketplace, harming both competitors and consumers. The Department has established whistleblower programs to encourage corporations and individuals to come forward with timely information regarding misconduct and criminal behavior. Failing to do so invites prosecution and serious consequences.”

“The FBI will work to hold those accountable who steal confidential information to obtain a competitive advantage, whether they be agents, employees, executives, or corporations themselves,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office.  “We will rigorously investigate those who criminally conspire to defraud companies for their personal gain.”

“Corporate fraud schemes ultimately end up hurting the consumers they serve,” said Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division. "Protecting the U.S. Mail from these schemes will always be a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. We are proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to bring this case to a successful conclusion.”

According to court documents, in 2019, Dominion Energy, Inc. (Dominion), a utility company based in Richmond that provides electricity to four million customers in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, sought to build a “Peaker” combustion turbine power plant in the greater Richmond metropolitan area. Peaker power plants are specifically designed to add electricity generation capacity to alleviate high grid load and improve electric grid resiliency. The electricity infrastructure project had projected cost of upwards of $500 million.

To build the power plant, Dominion opened a competitive, closed bid process soliciting requests for proposals from qualified companies. Three companies bid for the work: General Electric Company (GE), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), and Siemens. All companies executed non-disclosure agreements restricting the disclosure of confidential information provided to Dominion during the bid.

After GE and MHI submitted their closed bids to Dominion in May 2019, Account Manager, Michael P. Hillen of Siemens coordinated with a Dominion insider, Director of Generation System Planning Theodore S. Fasca, who used his sensitive position to improperly obtain GE and MHI confidential information. Hillen and Fasca funneled the pilfered GE and MHI bid information through private email accounts, including Hillen’s wife’s Hotmail email address, before sending the confidential information to Hillen’s Siemens email address. Hillen then disseminated the confidential information to Siemens Account Manager Mehran Sharifi, who analyzed the confidential bid information with other employees. Realizing that Siemens had a less competitive bid than GE by some metrics, Sharifi recommended to Siemens Executive Vice President and Head of Sales for North America, John Gibson, that Siemens resubmit a lowered bid to undercut GE’s bid price. Gibson, Sharifi, Hillen, and Fasca all knew the GE and MHI bid information was improperly obtained and that Siemens should not have had access to this information.

Gibson strategically disseminated the confidential information to other Siemens senior executives, to leaders within Siemens’ business intelligence unit, and to representatives of Siemens’ then-parent company in Germany. Gibson’s dissemination of the information was calculated to provide Siemens with a competitive advantage in the bid for the Dominion project, improve Siemens’ business intelligence, and provide Siemens with a competitive advantage in future bids, all to the detriment of GE and MHI.

After learning of GE’s and MHI’s bids for the Dominion project, Gibson authorized and obtained approvals within Siemens, including from the Chief Executive Officer for Power Generation and representatives of Siemens’ then-parent company in Germany, to resubmit a lower bid for the Dominion project, undercutting GE’s bid. Siemens won the bid with Dominion. Even after submitting the lowered bid, Siemens continued misappropriating GE and MHI confidential information on numerous occasions throughout June 2019.

Siemens Energy Inc. is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5. The company’s plea today comes after Gibson, Hillen, Fasca, and Sharifi entered guilty pleas for their roles in the criminal misconduct.

Gibson pled guilty to conspiracy to convert trade secrets and was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison.

Hillen and Fasca each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced to three years and one month in prison.

Sharifi pled guilty to conspiracy to convert trade secrets and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 11. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth, Kenneth R. Simon, Jr., and Brian J. Samuels are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Gill assisted the prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:24-cr-141 (Siemens Energy, Inc.), 3:23-cr-137 (John Gibson), 3:23-cr-83 (Theodore S. Fasca), 3:24-cr-20 (Mehran Sharifi), and 3:23-cr-120 (Michael P. Hillen).

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber recognized officers and agents from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies from across the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) with Public Service Awards.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office typically holds annual awards ceremonies to recognize the law enforcement officials for their service and contribution to various criminal and civil cases investigated and prosecuted in EDVA. Award ceremonies took place Sept. 4 in Alexandria, Sept. 16 in Richmond, Sept. 25 in Newport News, and Sept. 26 in Norfolk.

“This annual recognition of our law enforcement partners is truly one of my favorite events each year,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This event allows us to share with these dedicated public servants our appreciation for their efforts. The gratitude we express here and now is the gratitude we hold each day.”

The awards highlighted federal cases, operations, and initiatives from 2023. The federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies listed below had officers and/or agents who were recognized for their bravery, outstanding collaboration, investigative achievement, investigative excellence, and victim assistance. Members of the following agencies were recognized at each of the ceremonies:

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute para-fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to court documents, from January 2021 to May 2021, Richmond Police (RPD) detectives observed Tycota Rich Slater, 37, engaged in what appeared to be drug trafficking activities and made two controlled purchases of narcotics from Slater.

On Aug. 31, 2021, detectives searched Slater’s residence in Chesterfield County. Detectives recovered two firearms, ammunition, and 743 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, as well as a press, a scale, and other items used for packaging illegal narcotics for distribution. In Slater's car, which was parked at the residence, agents recovered a firearm with an extended magazine along with federal court paperwork and $9,700 in drug-trafficking proceeds.

On Oct. 26, 2023, RPD narcotics detectives with the assistance of agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, searched Slater's residence in Richmond. The detectives and agents recovered a firearm, two press machines, three cellphones, and $71,144 in drug-trafficking proceeds, as well as a money counting machine, a vacuum sealer and bags, digital scales, and ammunition. Two of Slater’s vehicles were also searched, leading to the recovery of 500 grams of fentanyl, three kilograms of cocaine, and two more firearms.

Detectives searched Slater's storage unit in Henrico County and recovered additional cocaine and four more firearms.

Slater was convicted previously of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, domestic violence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and other crimes. As a convicted felon, Slater cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-162.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Minnesota man pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to create and distribute animal crushing videos.

According to court documents, from at least June 11, 2021, to July 8, 2022, Jeffrey Radtke, 61, of Bloomington, Minnesota, received over 20 electronic payments ranging from $1 to $300 from his coconspirators, to fund, among other things, payments to videographers outside of the United States, including Indonesia, to create videos depicting the torture and deaths of juvenile macaque monkeys.

Radtke and others had direct communications with Coconspirator 11 (CC11) in Indonesia. Radtke and others routinely communicated with CC11 for the creation of animal crush videos and would direct the videographers how to torture the animals. Between June 7, 2021, and Aug. 5, 2022, Radtke sent over 40 payments ranging from $25 to $295 to CC11 to create new animal crush videos to send to the coconspirators.

On April 24, 2023, law enforcement seized Radtke’s electronic devices. Radtke’s computer contained over 2,600 videos and 2,700 images depicting animal crushing.

Radtke is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 13, 2025, and faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-88.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two men have been sentenced to prison for the armed robbery of a check-cashing business in Chantilly.

According to court documents, on Nov. 18, 2023, Antonio Chester Lewis, 49, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Al Gibran Taylor, 42, of Reston, entered the store intending to rob it of its cash. Lewis had entered the store previously to survey it. Lewis was armed with a .223/5.56 mm caliber semi-automatic rifle, which he pointed at customers and ordered them to put their hands in the air. Taylor attempted to open a cashier booth, which contained the store’s register and safe. When Taylor found the booth locked, Lewis identified the store’s cashier, grabbed her by the neck, and brought her to the cashier booth. The cashier opened the booth, and Taylor removed a large amount of cash from the store’s safe.

Lewis was arrested on March 26. That day, law enforcement conducted a search of Lewis’ residence and recovered the rifle used during the robbery as well as a privately made firearm with no serial number, a shotgun, and ammunition. On April 4, law enforcement also searched Lewis’ vehicle and recovered a handgun and additional ammunition.

On June 13, Lewis pled guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm. Lewis was sentenced on Sept. 3 to 15 years and eight months in prison.

On June 21, Taylor pled guilty to use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Taylor was sentenced today to 25 years in prison.

Both Lewis and Taylor have multiple prior convictions. On Aug. 9, 1994, Lewis was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On May 30, 1997, he was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine while armed. On Oct. 20, 2005, Lewis was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base. As a previously convicted felon, Lewis cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

Taylor previously was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia on Dec. 21, 2006, of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence during which the firearm was discharged. On June 30, 2006, Taylor was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after Taylor was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel K. Amzallag prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Cases No. 1:24-cr-139 and 1:24-cr-130.

NORFOLK, Va. – Matthew Taylor Morris, 38, a local attorney and resident of Virginia Beach, pled guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of marijuana.

According to court documents, beginning in at least January 2021, Donald Thomas Rogers, 35, of Portsmouth, the owner of a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL), allegedly became involved in the interstate trafficking of bulk quantities of marijuana. Working with Nicholas Cameron Capehart, 30, of Norfolk, and Jeffrey Donald Sines, 39, of Portsmouth, the Rogers Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) stored approximately 1,000 pounds of marijuana and cash proceeds at Morris’s Top Tier Law firm located on South Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach. At the time, the street value of the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products stored at Morris’s law office ranged in value between $800,000 and $1.6 million.

Rogers was the owner of VA Premier Pawn, an FFL authorized to sell firearms. Rogers allegedly purchased wholesale quantities of THC products, including marijuana, THC vape pens, THC wax, and THC edible products, from sources outside Virginia. Rogers allegedly transferred the products in smaller quantities to his co-conspirators, including Capehart, Sines, and Morris, for retail sale.

Morris introduced Capehart to Rogers, initially believing that Capehart could supply Rogers with THC products. Rogers allegedly bought and sold marijuana products in larger quantities than Capehart, so Rogers began to supply Capehart, as well as others, including Morris, with THC products. After Morris first met Rogers in 2021, Morris referred customers, including his legal clients, to Rogers for the illegal purchase of THC products. Eventually, Morris offered Rogers the use of a room in his law office to store Rogers’ THC products.

In exchange for his use of the law office, Rogers allegedly paid the law office’s monthly rent for several months, and Morris gave Rogers a key to the law office to facilitate access. Additionally, Rogers allegedly agreed to supply Morris with 15 pounds of THC products per month for a total of approximately 70 pounds so that he could sell marijuana to his own retail customers. Morris also allegedly received a 9mm handgun from Rogers, despite Morris being an unlawful user of Adderall, cocaine, opiates, and THC.

On April 20, 2021, Capehart, who was vacationing in Las Vegas, allegedly sought advice from Morris on sending marijuana products back to the Tidewater region because Capehart knew that Morris was an attorney. In text messages, Morris told Capehart to commingle the marijuana products among “some type of souvenirs and buy some Saran Wrap and wrap whatever you put it in well.” Morris also advised Capehart to address the package to Morris’ law firm and to “[w]rite legal mail on there somewhere too,” reasoning that this would “make it privileged and the cops would have a hell of a time getting a warrant to get around that privilege.”

On Oct. 17, 2022, law enforcement allegedly observed Capehart in the parking lot of the FFL retrieve a large black bag from the back seat of Rogers’ car, place it in the back seat of Capehart’s truck, and leave. Capehart allegedly drove to his residence and brought the bag inside the residence. Law enforcement identified vehicles belonging to Sines and Capehart at a storage unit in Suffolk. On Oct. 27, 2022, law enforcement legally observed several duffel bags in the storage unit consistent with the type that Rogers and Capehart allegedly possessed on Oct. 17, 2022, each of which contained between seven and 18 pounds of marijuana. They also found boxes containing marijuana, THC vape pens, THC wax, THC edible products, and marijuana seeds. In all, the storage unit contained 193 pounds of marijuana, 1,410 THC vape pens, 136 jars of THC wax, 228 bottles of THC syrup, and 514 THC edible products.

On Nov. 3, 2022, Rogers and another individual allegedly entered the storage unit with Sines, and Sines exited with a duffel bag and the other individual allegedly carried a cardboard box. Sines transported the duffel bag to his residence, which was next to Rogers’ residence.

On Nov. 9, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the storage unit and recovered a total of 141 pounds of marijuana, 400 THC Vape cartridges, 196 containers of “Hi-Cubes” THC edibles, 82 containers of “Dangerously Delicious Nerds” THC edibles, 116 containers of “Dangerously Delicious Gummy Worms” THC edibles, 16,684 grams of THC Wax, and 196 bottles THC Cough Syrup. On Nov. 10, 2022, agents executed ten additional search warrants on the suspected locations, vehicles, and members of the Rogers DTO.

At Rogers’ residence agents recovered four firearms, one silencer, $23,980, 1,899 grams of marijuana products, and three cellphones. At the FFL, agents recovered 145 firearms, $181,000, and $80,879 in gold and silver.

At Sines’ residence, agents recovered 10 firearms, 36,676 grams of marijuana, 529 grams of mushrooms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and $7,686.

At Capehart’s residence, agents recovered 13,042 grams of marijuana, $14,036, 16 firearms, and three black bags consistent with the bags in the storage unit.

Morris and Sines pled guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Morris is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2025, and faces up to ten years in prison. Sines is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. Rogers is scheduled to plead guilty on Sept. 30 and Capehart is scheduled to plead guilty on Oct. 3. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Butler and Anthony C. Marek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:24-cr-94 (Rogers), 2:24-cr-95 (Capehart), 2:24-cr-96 (Sines) and 2:24-cr-97 (Morris).

RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg man pled guilty to three counts relating to two armed robberies in Petersburg within one week.

According to court documents, on July 11, 2023, Demario Fisher, 36, entered a Metro PCS store in Petersburg wearing a bright work vest and an ankle monitor. He examined the store and left, but returned about a half-hour later. He approached the store employee, escorted her to the cash register at gunpoint, and stole cash from the register. Fisher then fled from the store in a blue SUV registered to his girlfriend.

On July 17, 2023, Fisher entered the Miller Mart BP store in Hopewell wearing a t-shirt with a teddy bear image and, again, an ankle monitor. Fisher made a purchase and left. He later re-entered the store, this time wearing a bright work vest over the teddy bear t-shirt. Fisher approached the store employee at the counter armed with a firearm and demanded money from the cash register. After taking the money, Fisher again fled from the store in the blue SUV.

Fisher also admitted to robbing a BP Gas Station in Petersburg on July 12, 2023.  In that robbery, Fisher, armed with a firearm and wearing a safety vest, entered, brandished the firearm toward the store clerk and demanded that the clerk “empty the register.”  The store clerk complied and Fisher fled the store on foot.   

Fisher pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2025. For the Hobbs Act Robbery, Fisher faces up to 20 years in prison. For each count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, Fisher faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum term of life in prison to be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-45.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland woman who formerly worked as a federal government contracting specialist pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services wire fraud.

According to court documents, Kyana C. Washington, 44, worked for a company that contracted with the Government Publishing Office (GPO) to provide support for the Acquisition Services Business Unit. Washington’s title at GPO was senior contract specialist, and her duties included assisting contract officers with acquisition planning and solicitation, source selection, the preparation and issuance of contracts, delivery orders, and the modifications and management of various contractual vehicles.

In August 2021, Washington met an individual identified in court records as Person A at a social gathering. Person A’s business provides consulting services that include finding opportunities for his affiliate companies to secure government contracts. At the social gathering, Washington told Person A that she worked in contracting at GPO, and while she did not have direct approval authority over GPO’s contracts, her supervisor did, and Washington’s supervisor followed Washington’s recommendations.

On Aug. 13, 2021, Washington and Person A met at a restaurant in Maryland. Washington told Person A that she could help him get contracts with GPO, but she wanted to be paid 20% of the value of the contracts she steered to Person A. Person A told Washington that he could not pay her directly, so the two agreed that Person A would pay Washington through Washington’s daughter to disguise the bribe payments. Washington brought her government laptop to the meeting and showed Person A confidential information about then-available GPO contracts on which Person A and his business associates could bid. Washington and Person A identified an IT/cloud services contract (Contract-1) which Washington could plausibly steer to Person A’s affiliated businesses.

In September 2021, as GPO’s fiscal year was coming to a close, Washington provided Person A screenshots of her GPO computer that contained nonpublic information about GPO contracting opportunities. Person A later texted Washington the names of three of the companies he was working with, including a Fairfax County business identified in court documents as “Contractor A.”  Washington prepared a memorandum for GPO, dated Sept. 29, 2021, indicating that quotes were received from only three companies (those named by Person A) and recommending that Contract-1 be awarded to Contractor A.

Originally, Contract-1 was valued at approximately $1,000,000, to be paid out over five years, which would have required a higher level of approval. Instead, Washington restructured the contract so that it was valued at just under $200,000, to be paid out in one year, and subject to renewal under the same terms for a total of five years, which required only the approval of Washington’s supervisor, who approved the award to Contractor A based on Washington’s recommendation.

Contractor A agreed to pay Person A a percentage of the profits from the contract, and Person A agreed to pay Washington a percentage of the money that he received. Person A and Washington set up a sham “marketing agreement” between Person A’s company and Washington’s daughter’s company to funnel the bribe payments. From the beginning to the conspiracy until the date the government disrupted the scheme, Washington received a total of $7,098.37 in bribe payments from Person A.

GPO has paid a total of $487,887.50 for work performed on Contract-1. During the conspiracy, Person A received approximately $2,362 per quarter for bringing Contract-1 to Contractor A, or a total of approximately $23,362.

Washington is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2025, and faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; Stephen Ravas, Acting Inspector General for AmeriCorps; and John Perez, Special Agent in Charge, Headquarters Operations, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-CFPB OIG); and Nathan J. Deahl, Inspector General for the Government Publishing Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Heidi B. Gesch are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-186.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man pled guilty today to improperly destroying mail.

According to court documents, on Dec. 9, 2023, Michael Thirkield, 31, a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier, dumped several boxes of mail into a dumpster in the Forest Lake Court area in Newport News. Thirkield did not report to work after that day and left his USPS satchel on his porch with a handwritten note stating, “For the mail carrier.”

On Dec. 11, 2023, a USPS customer service supervisor retrieved 1,296 pieces of first-class and pre-sorted mail from the dumpster. The mail was destined for addresses along routes assigned to Thirkield for delivery.

Thirkield is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 26, 2025, and faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid Atlantic Area Field Office for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Therese O'Brien and Mack Coleman are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-25.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison for distribution of cocaine.

According to court documents, Deton Dodson, 46, was a street level drug dealer in a larger drug trafficking organization centered in the Tidewater area of Virginia. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Virginia Beach Police Department, and Norfolk Police Department initiated an investigation of the organization in 2020. Multiple sources, including some in California, were supplying the organization with kilogram-level quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin.

On Nov. 5, 2021, Dodson met co-defendant Edward Fonville for a hand-to-hand drug transaction. Afterward, law enforcement approached Dodson, who was in possession of a handgun. Dodson admitted that he traded cocaine to Fonville for the firearm. After his arrest, Dodson informed Fonville that law enforcement was investigating him. Fonville remains a fugitive.

Thirteen other defendants have been convicted and sentenced in this case.

Milton Artis, 41, pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Jan. 23, 2023, Artis was sentenced to one year in prison.

Levell Batts Sr., 60, pleaded guilty on Sept. 12, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Jan. 12, 2023, Batts was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison.

Emerson Brodie, 32, pleaded guilty on Jan. 30, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On May 30, 2023, Brodie was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

Charlie Chapman, 46, pleaded guilty on June 29, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Oct. 30, 2023, Chapman was sentenced to seven years in prison.

James Ford, 40, pleaded guilty on April 12, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Aug. 15, 2023, Ford was sentenced to three years and one month in prison.

Donald Gray, 48, pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On Oct. 4, 2023, Gray was sentenced to twelve years in prison.

James Hill, 41, pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Feb. 13, 2023, Hill was sentenced to five years in prison.

Michael Robinson, 41, pleaded guilty on Oct. 6, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Feb. 7, 2023, Robinson was sentenced to seven years and 11 months in prison.

Michael Seay, 40, pleaded guilty on Sept. 15, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Jan. 23, 2023, Seay was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Rondell Spain, 33, pleaded guilty on Jan. 24, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On May 30, 2023, Spain was sentenced to five years in prison.

Mervin Walton, 39, pleaded guilty on Sept. 22, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Jan. 30, 2023, Walton was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison.

Lavon Williams, 33, pleaded guilty on Oct. 6, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On Feb. 8, 2023, Williams was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Terrell Williams, 37, pleaded guilty on Feb. 6, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. On June 27, 2023, Williams was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA’s Washington Division; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Washington, D.C.; Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police; and Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Hurt prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-18.