Eastern District of Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today that it has sent a Dear Colleagues Letter reminding healthcare providers of the effective communication requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To strengthen awareness and understanding of these requirements, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is inviting the public, including personnel at healthcare providers, to an informational meeting that will be held on June 6, 2023, at 1 p.m.

When Congress passed the ADA, it recognized that discrimination against individuals with disabilities persists in critical areas, including health services, which often involve high stakes communication. Through the ADA, Congress established a national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities by providing strong and enforceable standards. In support of these goals, the ADA and its implementing regulations require covered entities, including healthcare providers, to furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services to individuals with communication disabilities without imposing a surcharge on the individual, including qualified sign language interpreters, computer-aided transcription services, and effective methods of making visually delivered materials available to individuals who are blind or have low vision.

The ADA requirements apply to a variety of healthcare providers, including those operated by either private entities or state and local governments, such as hospitals, nursing facilities, urgent care providers, physicians, dentists, optometrists, durable medical equipment retailers, infirmaries located at institutions of higher learning and correctional facilities, and local mental health agencies. Further, the ADA applies to all services that covered entities provide, including in-person medical services, telehealth appointments, electronic kiosks, and websites.

The Dear Colleagues Letter explains that “[p]ursuant to the ADA, healthcare providers are required to ensure that communication with people with disabilities is as effective as communication with people without disabilities.” Further, “healthcare providers may not decline to provide treatment to an individual solely because they have a disability and may need auxiliary aids and services.” The Dear Colleagues Letter also includes links to numerous Department of Justice publications that provide a detailed discussion of the ADA’s effective communication requirements, including publications on ADA.gov: “ADA Requirements: Effective Communication,” “ADA Business BRIEF: Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings,” and “Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA.” In addition, the Dear Colleagues Letter provides links to settlement agreements that provide a roadmap to the steps that covered entities can take to comply with the ADA, including Settlement Agreements with Goochland Powhatan Community Services, Brookside Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center, Rite Aid Corporation, and Lincare, Inc.

The Dear Colleagues Letter announces that at 1 p.m. on June 6, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be holding a virtual meeting for the public, including personnel at healthcare providers, to share information on the steps providers can take to comply with the ADA’s effective communication requirements, and provide an opportunity for questions and collaboration. The registration link for the meeting is here.

“Ensuring that healthcare providers are complying with the ADA by being accessible to individuals with communication disabilities is a critical mission of this Office,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber. “We look forward to meeting with personnel from healthcare providers so that we can discuss the ADA’s effective communication requirements in healthcare settings.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, through its Civil Rights Enforcement (CRE) Unit, and in partnership with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The Office vigorously enforces a variety of federal statutes that prohibit discrimination, including the ADA and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, and Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. The CRE Unit also enforces the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, which protect military members as they enter and return from active duty.

For more information on the ADA, visit https://www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).

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

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a citizen of El Salvador today of illegally reentering the United States after a prior removal.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Victor Manuel Romero-Diaz, 40, of El Salvador, was removed from the United States on December 12, 2011, after he was convicted of a felony offense for cocaine possession and distribution. In October 2022, immigration authorities found Romero-Diaz living in North Chesterfield, without having obtained permission to apply for reentry into the United States.

Romero-Diaz faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on September 5, 2023. 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.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director, for U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the verdict.

The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section provided assistance in this case. The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería of El Salvador also provided significant assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla Jordan-Detamore and Kaitlin G. Cooke 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. 3:22-cr-177.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Williamsburg man with nine counts of tax fraud.

According to the indictment, Stephen G. Genakos, 62, is the sole owner and managing director of Sarantos, Inc., a Virginia Subchapter S corporation that does business as a restaurant, the Sportsmans Grille, in James City County. The indictment alleges that since 2016, Genakos skimmed more than $670,000 in U.S. currency from the Sportsmans Grille. During this period, he is alleged to have deposited more than $112,000 in currency in his personal bank accounts and gambled more than $502,000 with the Virginia Lottery. 

The indictment further alleges that in 2020, Genakos listed the Sportsmans Grille for sale. In 2021, undercover agents from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made contact with Genakos. During this operation, Genakos allegedly joked about his “magic book” and ultimately provided IRS agents the chance to view the true books and records of the Sportsmans Grille.

The indictment further alleges that for tax years 2016 through 2020, Genakos filed materially false tax returns for himself and his business, Sarantos Inc. He is charged with filing nine returns that understate his taxable income by more than $670,000 and caused a tax loss to the United States of approximately $113,163.

Genakos is charged with aiding and assisting in the preparation of materially false tax returns. If convicted, Genakos faces a maximum of 3 years in prison on each of the nine counts. 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.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mack Coleman and Brian Samuels 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. 4:23-cr-37.

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fredericksburg man was sentenced today to 19 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for production and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, from at least December 11, 2018, through April 8, 2019, Chad Michael Lehofer, 37, repeatedly engaged in sexually explicit discussions with a minor online and enticed and coerced the minor to produce sexually explicit pictures and videos and send them to Lehofer. After the minor tried to break off contact with him, Lehofer pretended to be a different person and continued to communicate with the minor online. Lehofer sent threatening messages to the minor, telling the minor that if the minor did not send him sexually explicit videos, he would expose the minor to others, including the minor’s mother and friends. Lehofer claimed to be watching the minor’s house and would send the minor messages indicating he knew the minor’s location and he would be waiting at the minor’s home. In response to these threats, the minor produced a sexually explicit video and sent it to Lehofer.

After obtaining a warrant to search Lehofer’s cell phone, law enforcement discovered that his phone contained numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent minors. Lehofer was previously convicted in Connecticut in 2006 for state offenses involving his sexual abuse of two minors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Nachmanoff.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Bedell and Lauren Halper, as well as Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo from the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at USAVAE-UnMasked@usdoj.gov.

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-82.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Falls Church man was sentenced today to 3 years in prison for unlawful possession of unregistered silencers.

According to court documents, Hatchet Speed, 41, began panic buying firearms in early 2021. From February to May 2021, Speed purchased at least twelve firearms and spent more than $40,000 at stores that sold firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition. According to court documents, the defendant began stockpiling weapons after participating in the incursion at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, a time when he anticipated civil war and spoke of the need for political violence.

In March 2021, during the midst of his firearm purchases, Speed purchased three silencers from a company in Georgia. While the silencers were marketed as “solvent traps” ostensibly to be used in cleaning the barrel of a firearm, they were actually designed to serve as silencers. The silencers were not registered to Speed in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law. By circumventing the registration requirements for silencers, Speed was able to take possession of the silencers within a week of purchasing them.

In early 2022, Speed met with an undercover employee of the FBI. During these meetings, Speed discussed his anti-Semitic, anti-government ideologies with the FBI undercover employee. Speed also discussed taking violent action in furtherance of his ideologies. Speed praised the approach of jihadists and suggested that their approach would be an effective way to “wipe out” the opposition, referring to Jewish people. Speed discussed his efforts to identify targets who were “reachable” by someone like him, stating that he thought about using a “mock trial” to decide which people to add to “the list.” During this discussion, Speed confirmed to the FBI undercover employee that he believed his “solvent traps,” meaning his unregistered silencers, would come in handy for this purpose.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael H. Glasheen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division; and Michael T. Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Traxler and Amanda Lowe 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. 1:22-cr-165.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for his role in two armed robberies.

According to court documents, Ricardo Horne, 41, and his co-defendants Michael Brown, 40, and Rashanda Booker, 38, both also from Richmond, robbed a Family Dollar on April 17, 2022 and a Dollar General on April 28, 2022.

On April 17, 2022, Horne and Brown forcefully grabbed a Family Dollar employee as he sought to empty trash prior to the store opening. Brown, holding a semiautomatic pistol that belonged to his sister, guided the employee to a safe inside the store and held him at gunpoint near the safe while emptying it.  Horne stood watch and maintained control over a customer as well as another terrified Family Dollar employee. Altogether, they obtained approximately $10,000 from Family Dollar—money they used to buy high-end shoes at a boutique shoe store. 

Between the two robberies in this case, Horne and Brown directed Booker to purchase new pistol for the second robbery. She did so on April 22, 2022. Six days later, Horne and Brown committed another armed robbery of a Dollar General. Brown entered the store carrying the semiautomatic pistol purchased by Booker alongside Horne. After Horne grabbed control of one of the employees, the two men took her to find the Dollar General manager who could open the safe. Brown held the manager at gunpoint near the safe while Horne maintained control of the other employee. Notably, several customers, including a woman and her young son, were shopping in the store at the time of the robbery.

A GPS tracker was installed inside some of the money taken from the Dollar General. Brown and Horne exited the store with the United States currency, entered Booker’s car, and then drove off. As Booker drove, Brown and Horne changed their clothing. Law enforcement began to follow the GPS tracker and discovered, Booker, Brown, and Horne in Booker’s Blue Toyota sedan. Among the items recovered by law enforcement were the clothing worn during the armed robbery of the Dollar General by Brown and Horne of the Dollar General, the Taurus, Model G3C, 9mm, semi-automatic pistol used during that robbery, and a Family Dollar bag.

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 Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. and Jessica Wright 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. 3:22-cr-122.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Gloucester man was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in prison for drug, firearms, witness tampering and retaliation and obstruction of justice convictions.

According to court documents, in August 2020, Nathan DeAlbert. Mattocks, 39, a previously convicted felon, was arrested after the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call from an individual reporting that he was being shot at by a person following in another vehicle while driving on a main road in Gloucester County. Following an investigation, law enforcement identified a vehicle matching the description in which Mattocks was an occupant. Officers arrested Mattocks and discovered “Roxacet 30” pills containing fentanyl and a semi-automatic pistol in the vicinity of the crime scene connected to Mattocks.

After Mattocks was arrested and detained pending trial, he became aware of potential witnesses in his case that had provided information to law enforcement about the shooting and the defendant’s prior drug dealing. Mattocks approached a known violent gang member, while both were incarcerated, and asked this individual to find others who could get rid of these witnesses by killing them or otherwise making sure they would not appear in court. Mattocks offered to pay this gang member or provide the gang member with a large quantity of drugs for this service. Mattocks provided a note to the gang member with the names and information about the potential witnesses, one of which did testify at the July 2022 trial.

Further investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); Gloucester County Sherriff’s Office; and other local law enforcement partners revealed Mattocks’ long history of dealing heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, among other dangerous controlled substances within the Middle Peninsula region.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael T. Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division; and Darrell W. Warren, Jr., Gloucester County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Samuels and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Kaplan prosecuted the case. Former Assistant United States Attorney Howard Zlotnick also provided assistance on 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. 4:21-cr-6.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Steve’s Towing, Inc., located in Virginia Beach, has agreed to pay $90,000 to settle a complaint that alleged that the company violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by failing to obtain court orders before auctioning off vehicles belonging to at least seven SCRA-protected servicemembers, including two vehicles belonging to a member of a Navy SEAL team who was deployed overseas. The complaint further alleged that the company engaged in a pattern or practice of violating the SCRA and had no policies, practices, or procedures in place to ensure SCRA compliance.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office launched its investigation after a Navy legal assistance attorney reported that Steve’s Towing, Inc., had towed two vehicles from a military base that belonged to a deployed Navy SEAL and then sold the vehicles without first obtaining court orders. One of the vehicles, a 1992 Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ73, contained evidence of the Navy SEAL’s military service, including a duffel bag of military uniforms and a Naval Special Warfare Development Group Sniper challenge coin. Under the SCRA, towing companies must determine whether a vehicle in their possession belongs to a servicemember; if that vehicle belongs to a servicemember, the towing company must obtain a court order prior to selling the vehicle.

“Servicemembers often rely heavily on their personal vehicles to commute to work and care for their families. A servicemember’s loss of a vehicle, therefore, can affect the military’s readiness,” said Jessica D. Aber, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “EDVA is dedicated to holding accountable businesses who do not uphold the right of servicemembers under the SCRA.”

“This case began with a member of a Navy SEAL team who returned home from an overseas deployment, only to find that a towing company had auctioned off two vehicles that he had parked at a military base,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This resolution will compensate all of the servicemembers whose vehicles were illegally taken from them while they were serving their country.”

Under the proposed consent order, which still must be approved by the Court, Steve’s Towing will pay $67,500 to the seven SCRA-protected servicemembers mentioned in the United States’ complaint, and will pay up to $12,500 to compensate additional SCRA-protected servicemembers whose vehicles Steve’s Towing may have sold without first obtaining court orders. The order also requires Steve’s Towing, Inc., to pay a $10,000 civil penalty to provide SCRA training to its employees, and to develop new policies and procedures consistent with the SCRA.

The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section.

The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deirdre G. Brou and Sean D. Jansen.

The civil claims settled by this Servicemembers Civil Relief Act agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.

Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/. The department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $481 million in monetary relief for over 147,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Hanover, Maryland, man pleaded guilty today to his role in a check theft and forgery scheme involving at least 10 victims and nearly half a million dollars in loss.

According to court documents, Akinbobola Komolafe, 27, and other individuals stole checks from the U.S. mail, many of which had been mailed from the area around Glen Echo, Maryland. Komolafe and his co-conspirators then altered the checks to change the payment amount and the payee’s name. For example, Komolafe and his conspirators altered a check originally written for $43.20 to a medical practice to instead pay $40,000 to a co-conspirator. Another check involved in the conspiracy, originally written for $140.00 to a physician, was altered to pay $30,000 to a co-conspirator.

Komolafe was captured on surveillance footage at Wells Fargo bank branches in Falls Church and Arlington, depositing the fraudulent checks into the accounts of recruited co-conspirators. Komolafe was identified as the depositor of the checks by his distinct clothing, which matched that which he was wearing in posts on his social media accounts.

Once the fraudulent proceeds were deposited, Komolafe and others divided the proceeds among themselves and transferred the proceeds into other accounts to conceal the source of the proceeds.  The conspiracy caused no less than approximately $486,716 in loss, and Komolafe personally obtained or shared in no less than $100,000 of that loss.

Komolafe is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2023. He 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 taking into account 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 T. S. Ellis III, accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Ray and Katherine Rumbaugh 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. 1:23-cr-14.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man pleaded guilty today to attempted production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, around October 2022, Christopher Paul Hetherington, 33, initiated sexually explicit conversation over the Internet with who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Hetherington used a screen name of “sw0daddy” in his communications with the girl, referencing his then-employment as a Surface Warfare Officer for the U.S. Navy. Hetherington repeatedly asked the girl to send him sexually explicit photos of her and asked for reassurance that she was not affiliated with law enforcement. Over the phone, Hetherington detailed the sexual acts he wished to perform on and with her. After the call concluded, Hetherington encouraged the girl to show him her genitals over the Internet. In December 2022, Hetherington made plans to meet with the girl for sex. Instead, Hetherington was arrested at his home on December 21, 2022.

Hetherington is scheduled to be sentenced on August 9, 2023. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and 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 taking into account 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 Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria Liu is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at USAVAE-UnMasked@usdoj.gov.

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-26.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Scottsdale, Arizona, man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for distributing fentanyl on the darknet.

According to court documents, from August 2021 through May 2022, John McKernan, 32, ran the darknet moniker “KingofKeys” on a darknet market. On this market, he advertised and sold pressed pills that he marketed as oxycodone, but that in fact contained fentanyl. In his profile on the market, McKernan told customers that the pressed pills tested negative for fentanyl. He also advertised pressed Xanax, Cialis, and MDMA. In addition to his distribution on the darknet, McKernan sold fentanyl-laced pills via encrypted messaging applications. 

Between May 2022 and July 2022, law enforcement made controlled purchases from the defendant, which included over 450 counterfeit pills that the defendant purported to be oxycodone. The defendant received payment for the controlled substances in Bitcoin. Once received, law enforcement tested the pills, and all came back positive for the presence of fentanyl.

The darknet, also called the darkweb, is a portion of the Internet that hosts darknet markets or hidden commercial websites. A darknet market operates as a black market, selling or brokering transactions involving legal products as well as drugs, weapons, counterfeit currency, stolen credit card details, forged documents, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, steroids, and other illicit goods.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the USPIS Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis, III.

The FBI Phoenix Division, USPIS Phoenix Division, and Scottsdale Police Department provided valuable assistance in this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Call prosecuted the case.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents and task force partners, including special agents and officers of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and detectives from local assisting police agencies. The task force is charged with identifying and investigating the most egregious darknet markets, and the vendors operating on the marketplaces who are engaged in the illegal acquisition and distribution of controlled substances, to include fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other opioids.

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-234.

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Portsmouth man today on seven charges of sex trafficking, production of child pornography, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on April 30, 2022, Pierre De Romeo Smith, 40, met 16-year-old Jane Doe. The same day, he took sexually explicit photographs of her, as well as sexually suggestive photographs of her posed with the muzzle of a shotgun in her mouth. Several hours later, he posted these pictures of her on a commercial sex website, advertising her for commercial sex. For the following three weeks, the defendant continued to make her available for commercial sex—with as many as 30 “dates” a night—throughout the Hampton Roads area. He gave her amphetamines to keep her awake and confiscated the money from her dates.

On May 19, 2022, the Virginia Beach Police Department conducted an undercover commercial sex operation at a hotel in Virginia Beach where they encountered Jane Doe. When interviewing her at the hotel, detectives observed a text message on her phone from the defendant stating he was there.  The defendant was observed arriving at the hotel’s parking garage and was arrested. In his car were multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and a Glock handgun, which the defendant was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon.    

Smith faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison up to a maximum penalty of life when sentenced on August 9, 2023. 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Montoya and Rebecca Gantt are prosecuting the case.

This case was investigated by the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force, a collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as nongovernmental organizations, working together to combat human trafficking in the Hampton Roads, Virginia region.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 https://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. 2:22-cr-122.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two Washington D.C. women and a Clinton, Maryland, man were sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

According to court documents, from at least May 2016 until Oct. 2016, Adiam Berhane, 50, conspired to carry out a fraud scheme with Tiffany Younger, 51, and Keith Lemons, 56, involving stolen credit card information that was used to purchase gift cards, expensive luxury goods, and other items from local retail stores. Berhane would obtain stolen identities of residents of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and elsewhere for the creation of fraudulent credit cards. The fraud caused over hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to area retailers and financial institutions.

Younger and Lemons were recruited by Berhane to make purchases using fraudulent credit cards. As part of the scheme, items purchased with victims’ credit card information would sometimes be returned for refunds to bank accounts that Berhane controlled. In addition to fraudulently purchasing items and receiving fraudulent refund proceeds to her bank accounts, Berhane used fraudulent payment cards to purchase gift cards at retail stores which were then redeemed at her business, Caffe Aficionado, in Arlington. More than a third of Caffe Aficionado’s income from June 2013 to July 2016 came from a pattern of highly unusual redemptions of American Express gift cards, with the pattern beginning several months before Caffe Aficionado opened in approximately October 2013.

Following a December 2022 jury trial, Berhane was convicted of multiple charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, trafficking in unauthorized access devices, aggravated identity theft, unlawful possession of 15 or more access devices, and possession of access device-making equipment with intent to defraud.

On March 15, Berhane was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the conspiracy. On March 15, Lemons was sentenced to time served and six months of home confinement for his role. On April 5, Younger was sentenced to 2 years of probation.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Andy Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.

This case was prosecuted with the assistance of the Montgomery County Police Department, the FBI Cyber Task Force, the U.S. Postal Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bibeane Metsch and Jonathan S. Keim 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 Nos. 1:20-cr-25, 1:22-cr-9, and 1:21-cr-27.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Westmoreland County man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to engage in dogfighting. 

According to court documents, from at least May 2015 through August 2020, Tarry Jeron “TJ”  Wilson, 38, and other conspirators from Virginia, D.C., and Maryland, used a messaging app private group, which they generally referred to as “the DMV Board” or “the Board,” as a place where they and their associates could discuss training fighting dogs, exchange videos about dogfighting, and arrange and coordinate dog fights, away from the view of law enforcement authorities. Members of the DMV Board also used the messaging app to compare methods of killing dogs that lost fights, as well as to circulate media reports about conspirators who had been caught by law enforcement and discuss methods to minimize the likelihood that they would be caught themselves.

According to court documents, Wilson, who used the kennel name “City Limits,” regularly used the DMV Board to solicit fights for his dogs, and to notify his fellow dogfighters of the results of the fights that were arranged. In January 2019, Wilson entered his dog “City Limits Lil Bella” in a fight in Delaware. The fight lasted one hour and 12 minutes, before his dog lost the fight. Wilson later described on the DMV Board how, when his attempt to electrocute the dog failed, he simply shot her.

In June 2020, Wilson attended five dogfights, including two involving his own dogs. Wilson’s dog, “Thor,” won the first fight when the opposing dog quit 16 minutes into the fight. Wilson’s dog, “Red Alert,” won the last fight after 32 minutes when the opposing dog stopped moving. In August 2020, Wilson possessed eight pit-bull type dogs at his Warsaw residence, including four that bore scarring patterns that indicated previous involvement in dogfighting.

According to court documents, Wilson warned members of the DMV Board to be sure to confirm the death of the dogs that they try to kill upon losing a fight. He explained that one time, he and a co-conspirator thought that their dog had died in a fight, only to find that the dog returned to life. Further, Wilson provided on the DMV Board instructions on how to kill a losing dog and offered to drive to another conspirator’s house to hang the dog from a tree himself. Wilson told his fellow DMV Board members that he “loved” killing losing dogs.

According to court documents, in response to a news article posted to the DMV Board regarding an individual charged with running a dogfighting operation, Wilson warned: “People like dogs. They don’t like what we doing to them, though, I bet you that.”

In August 2022, Wilson and six others were indicted for a dogfighting conspiracy involving the DMV Board. Five of those six have previously pleaded guilty and been sentenced for dogfighting offenses.

Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg 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. 1:22-cr-154.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Houston, Texas, man was sentenced today to 10.5 years in prison for distributing more than five kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride.

According to court documents, Elvis Elias Lopez, 28, along with his co-defendant Jamane Arvis Greene, 45, of Farmville, conspired to operate a multi-state drug trafficking operation to distribute large amounts of cocaine hydrochloride into the Richmond community.

As a result of this investigation, officers seized 18.9 kilograms of cocaine that were intended for distribution into the community, three firearms, and $1,127,835. Lopez and Greene forfeited the following items, either judicially or administratively: three firearms, all accompanying magazines and ammunition, $1,127,835 in U.S. Currency, 18kt yellow gold and stainless-steel Rolex wristwatch, 14kt yellow gold “Success Addictz” pendant, and a yellow gold large pave diamond “We Paid L*O Success Addictz" necklace.

On February 24, Greene was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.

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 Field Division; and Colonel Jeffrey S. Katz, Chesterfield County Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janet Jin Ah Lee and Stephen E. Anthony 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. 3:22-cr-118.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. –A Newport News man was sentenced today to 5 years in prison for the unlawful purchase and possession of a firearm that was used in three community shootings.

According to court documents, Khalil Rashad Armstrong, 22, asked his older cousin to purchase a handgun for Armstrong. Only 20 years old at the time, Armstrong was not old enough to purchase a handgun himself. Armstrong gave his cousin the money to purchase the firearm and selected the make and model. Around February 21, 2021, Armstrong’s cousin made false oral and written statements to a local licensed firearm dealer in order to straw-purchase the firearm for Armstrong. The firearm was recovered by police on July 27, 2021, at the crime scene of a local rival gang shootout approximately 125 days after it was purchased. Forensic ballistics confirmed the firearm had been used in two other shootings, once on May 2, 2021, resulting in property damage, and once on February 21, 2021, the same day it was purchased.

On May 12, Armstrong’s cousin and co-defendant, Destiny Na’iymah Davis, 23, of Newport News, pleaded guilty to a felony for her role in the unlawful straw-purchase of the firearm. According to court documents, the United States recommended a non-custodial sentence for Davis due to mitigating circumstances and her swift acceptance of responsibility for her role in the offense. Davis was sentenced to 18 months’ probation on December 5, 2022.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Mike Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wilson Hanes.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Osyf 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. 4:22-cr-12.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for defrauding victims in the Hampton Roads area out of more than $630,000 and evading the assessment of more than $50,000 in income taxes.

According to court documents, between 2013 and 2019, Clarence M. Rice Jr., 56, falsely represented to victims that he was going to receive a sizeable inheritance from his father’s death, under the condition that Rice paid off all his existing debts. He tricked victims into giving him large sums of money using the false representations that he needed the funds to obtain his inheritance.

As a result of his fraud scheme, Rice stole more than $350,000 from a 75-year-old retired bricklayer and more than $140,000 from an elderly blind man. In total, Rice obtained at least $632,017.44 in fraudulent proceeds from the scheme. As part of the plea, Rice agreed that his victims were of limited financial means and suffered substantial hardship from his fraud.

Despite earning income from his fraud scheme, Rice has not filed taxes since 2011. Between 2015 and 2019, he defrauded the IRS by living a cash lifestyle, negotiating checks from victims for U.S. currency instead of depositing them in bank accounts, hiding assets on prepaid cards, and lying to law enforcement about his income and assets. The approximate tax due and owing resulting from Rice’s failure to pay his personal income tax is $52,064.18.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen.

Norfolk Police Department and Hampton Police Department provided significant assistance in this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Mack Coleman and Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels prosecuted the case.

Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. It is a term used to describe five subtypes of elder abuse: physical abuse, financial fraud, scams and exploitation, caregiver neglect and abandonment, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, affecting at least 10 percent of older Americans every year. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness. This holistic and robust response demonstrates the Department’s unwavering dedication to fighting for justice for older Americans.

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. 4:21-cr-60.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran woman was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for her participation in a large-scale conspiracy to traffic cocaine for importation into the United States.

According to court documents, from 2006 until 2015, Erlinda Ramos-Bobadilla, aka Chinda, 62, served as a leader in the Montes-Bobadilla drug-trafficking organization, or Los Montes, one of the largest drug-trafficking organizations then operating in Honduras. The Los Montes drug-trafficking organization was family-run and based in the town of Francia on the northeastern coast of Honduras. There, the organization received maritime and clandestine air shipments of cocaine from sources in South America. Individual shipments of cocaine usually carried hundreds of – and sometimes more than a thousand – kilograms of cocaine. After receiving a shipment of cocaine, Los Montes worked with other drug traffickers to transport the cocaine inland through Honduras into Guatemala and, eventually, Mexico, where the cocaine would then be imported into, and distributed within, the United States.

“The defendant and her family lead a dangerous drug cartel that brought thousands of kilograms of poisonous drugs into the U.S. from Honduras and left murder, corruption, violence, and terror in its wake. EDVA prioritizes the investigation, dismantling, and prosecution of organizations like The Los Montes cartel that destroy communities across nations,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Today’s sentence would not have been possible without the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to stop illicit drugs and violence from infiltrating our neighborhoods.”

“Today’s sentencing reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding traffickers like Romas-Bobadilla accountable and dismantling the trafficking organizations they support,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and international partners to ensure that our communities are kept safe.”

Ramos-Bobadilla played an active leadership role in Los Montes. Among other responsibilities, she participated in the negotiation of cocaine transactions with other drug traffickers in Central and South America, managed the proceeds that the organization made from the sale of cocaine and, at times, paid sources of supply for cocaine that Los Montes purchased. Ramos-Bobadilla employed armed individuals to work at her direction and control, including by providing security for her and her cocaine shipments.

Ramos-Bobadilla also participated in procuring, planning, and arranging acts of violence, including murders, in furtherance of the conspiracy. For example, Los Montes and other Honduran drug-trafficking organizations conspired to finance the murder of the head of Honduras’ anti-drug trafficking agency in December 2009. In June 2013, along with her son, Noe Montes-Bobadilla, and another co-conspirator, Ramos-Bobadilla also participated in coordinating and directing the murder of a permanent resident of the United States in Tocoa, Honduras, in retaliation for perceived cooperation with the U.S. government.

In addition to her participation in these acts of violence, Ramos-Bobadilla engaged in bribery in furtherance of the conspiracy. Ramos-Bobadilla and her co-conspirators made payments to public officials in Honduras, including police officers and other law enforcement officials, to facilitate and protect the family’s drug-trafficking operations.

“The Montes-Bobadilla Drug Trafficking Organization terrorized and poisoned communities under Ramos-Bobadilla’s leadership,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Field Division. “Today’s sentencing is a testament to the capabilities and commitment by DEA to ensure that any domestic or foreign criminal who peddles deadly drugs into our neighborhoods and puts our families at risk will be held accountable.” 

On Oct. 8, 2015, Ramos-Bobadilla and five co-conspirators were charged by indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine for importation into the United States. Three of Ramos-Bobadilla’s co-conspirators have been convicted and sentenced in this case:

Noe Montes-Bobadilla was sentenced in April 2019 to 37 years in prison. Arnulfo Fagot-Maximo was sentenced in May 2019 to 33 years in prison. Jose del Trancito Garcia-Teruel was sentenced in February 2022 to 13 years in prison. One co-conspirator, Tito Montes-Bobadilla, aka Alejandro Montes-Bobadilla, aka Pimpi, is deceased.

The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) supported this case.

The DEA Washington Division investigated the case with assistance from FBI’s Washington Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and the Virginia State Police. The Honduran National Police also provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Ramos-Bobadilla.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas W. Traxler, Anthony T. Aminoff, and James L. Trump of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Douglas Meisel and Janet Turnbull of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of New York, the Middle District of Florida, and the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance. 

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.  1:15-cr-290.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Petersburg man today of possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine hydrochloride, possession of firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Melvin Leon Myrick, 24, crashed a Silver Nissan near Pine Forest Drive in Colonial Heights after fleeing an attempted traffic stop. When a Colonial Heights Police Department officer came upon the scene, Myrick exited the driver side door, went to the rear of the car, and then ran to the passenger door before fleeing into the woods.

An inventory search of the car resulted in the recovery of over 130 grams of methamphetamine and 45 grams of cocaine hydrochloride from passenger side floorboard, two loaded Glock, Model 22 semiautomatic pistols, an AK-style pistol, and digital scales. A search warrant obtained and executed on Myrick’s cellular phone revealed ongoing drug trafficking and connection to the firearms recovered from the Silver Nissan.

Myrick faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison for the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and a maximum penalty of life in prison. For the conviction of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, Myrick faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison and maximum of life in prison. For the possession of firearms by a convicted felon he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Myrick will be sentenced on July 28. 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.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mike Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and William Anspach, Chief of Colonial Heights Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. 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. 3:22-cr-148.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 25 months in prison for trafficking firearms with obliterated serial numbers.

According to court documents, between September 2020 and October 2021, Chase O’Neil Pulliam, 25, purchased at least 49 firearms from federal firearms licensees throughout the Eastern District of Virginia. After purchasing the firearms, Pulliam transported the firearms across state lines to Maryland and Washington, D.C., where he re-sold the firearms to other individuals. At least two individuals who purchased firearms from Pulliam were convicted felons prohibited from possessing firearms. In furtherance of his firearms trafficking operation, an associate of Pulliam obliterated the serial numbers from approximately 35 firearms on Pulliam’s behalf. 

At least eight of the firearms purchased and re-sold by Pulliam were recovered at crime scenes throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. One of the firearms purchased and re-sold by Pulliam was recovered in connection with a domestic violence incident in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Another firearm purchased and re-sold by Pulliam was recovered during a joint federal and local narcotics investigation in the Washington, D.C.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mike Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis, III.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Patterson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin W. Trundle 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. 1:22-cr-211.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The founder of BreachForums made his initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia on a criminal charge related to his alleged creation and administration of a major hacking forum and marketplace for cybercriminals that claimed to have more than 340,000 members as of last week. In parallel with his arrest on March 15, the FBI and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) have conducted a disruption operation that caused BreachForums to go offline.

“Cybercrime victimizes and steals financial and personal information from millions of innocent people,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This arrest sends a direct message to cybercriminals: your exploitative and illegal conduct will be discovered, and you will be brought to justice.”

According to court documents unsealed today, Conor Brian Fitzpatrick, 20, of Peekskill, New York, allegedly operated BreachForums as a marketplace for cybercriminals to buy, sell, and trade hacked or stolen data and other contraband since March 2022. Among the stolen items commonly sold on the platform were bank account information, social security numbers, other personally identifying information (PII), means of identification, hacking tools, breached databases, services for gaining unauthorized access to victim systems, and account login information for compromised online accounts with service providers and merchants. 

“Today, we continue our work to dismantle key players in the cybercrime ecosystem,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Like its predecessor RaidForums, which we took down almost a year ago, BreachForums bridged the gap between hackers hawking pilfered data and buys eager to exploit it. All those operating in dark net markets should take note: Working with our law enforcement partners, we will take down illicit forums and bring administrators to justice in U.S. courtrooms.”

“People expect that their online data will be protected, and the Department of Justice is committed to doing just that,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Criminal Division. “We must and will remain vigilant to the threat posed by those who attempt to undermine our digital security. We will continue to disrupt the forums that facilitate the theft and distribution of personal information and prosecute those responsible.”

Fitzpatrick’s alleged victims have included millions of U.S. citizens and hundreds of U.S. and foreign companies, organizations, and government agencies. Some of the stolen datasets contained the sensitive information of customers at telecommunication, social media, investment, health care services, and internet service providers. For instance, on Jan. 4, a BreachForums user posted the names and contact information for approximately 200 million users of a major U.S.-based social networking site. Further, on Dec. 18, 2022, another BreachForums user posted details of approximately 87,760 members of InfraGard, a partnership between the FBI and private sector companies focused on the protection of critical infrastructure.

“The FBI will continue to devote all available resources to deter, disrupt, and diminish criminal enterprise activity,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “We will work alongside our federal and international partners to impose costs on malicious cyber actors around the world and continue to bring justice to those who victimize the American public.”

“Following the seizure of RaidForums last year, cybercriminals turned to BreachForums to buy and sell stolen data, including breached databases, hacking tools, and the personal and financial information of millions of U.S. citizens and businesses,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will not let cybercriminals and those who enable them profit from the theft of sensitive data while hiding behind keyboards. The arrest of Conor Fitzpatrick and the disruption of yet another criminal marketplace demonstrates the potency of our joint work to dismantle the digital structures that facilitate cybercrime.”

As part of the scheme, Fitzpatrick allegedly supported the activities of cybercriminals by creating and operating a “Leaks Market” subsection that was dedicated to buying and selling hacked or stolen data, tools for committing cybercrime, and other illicit material. To facilitate transactions on the forum, Fitzpatrick allegedly offered to act as a trusted middleman, or escrow service, between individuals on the website who sought to conduct these types of illicit transactions. In addition, Fitzpatrick allegedly managed an “Official” databases section through which BreachForums directly sold access to verified hacked databases through a “credits” system administered by the platform. As of Jan. 11, the Official database section purported to contain 888 datasets, consisting of over 14 billion individual records. These databases belong to a wide variety of both U.S. and foreign companies, organizations, and government agencies. Fitzpatrick allegedly profited from the scheme by charging for forum credits and membership fees.

“This case sends a clear message that illicitly stealing, selling, and trading the personal information of innocent members of the public will not be tolerated, and that malicious cyber actors will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Niemczak of the HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners remain dedicated to protecting the American public and the integrity of government networks and data from these egregious cyberattacks.”

The BreachForums website has supported additional sections in which users discuss tools and techniques for hacking and exploiting hacked or stolen information, including in the “Cracking,” “Leaks,” and “Tutorials” sections. The BreachForums website also includes a “Staff” section that appears to be operated by the BreachForums administrators and moderators.

Fitzpatrick is charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Fitzpatrick’s arrest and the disruption of BreachForums comes nearly a year after the Department of Justice announced the seizure of a predecessor hacking marketplace, Raidforums, and unsealed criminal charges against RaidForums’ founder and chief administrator.

The law enforcement actions against Fitzpatrick and BreachForums are the result of an ongoing criminal investigation by the FBI Washington Field Office, FBI San Francisco Division, and HHS-OIG, with assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations New York Field Office, New York Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Peekskill Police Department. The U.S. Attorneys’ Office for the Northern District of California, the District of Maryland, and the Southern District of New York have also provided assistance in this matter.

The Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina A. Cuellar for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case against Fitzpatrick.

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 allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Surprise, Arizona, man was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, from summer of 2021 through March 2022, Elliott Velez, 38, used over 28 known fictitious social media accounts across multiple platforms to engage in sexually graphic conversations with girls under the age of 18. During these conversations with the victims, Velez would instruct them to engage in sexually explicit conduct, take photos or videos, and send the images to him. Velez would give explicit instructions on what he wanted them to do and who he wanted them to engage in sexually explicit conduct with, including other underage individuals. Review of just one account during the span of just one week Velez had engaged in over 7,000 lines of sexually graphic conversations with minors. Velez would use a recording device on his phone to ensure that he could keep these videos and images without the victim’s knowledge.

Velez was an active-duty Senior Master Sergeant in the Air Force who was located in Newport News during the time of his illegal conduct.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Heath prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk Child Exploitation Task Force (NCETF), as part of Project Safe Childhood. The NCETF is composed of FBI agents and detectives from the Chesapeake Police Department, Hampton Police Division, and Newport News Police Department. Assistance in this matter was also provided by federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children. Tips regarding child exploitation can be provided to the task force at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at USAVAE-UnMasked@usdoj.gov.

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-28.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Advanced Systems Technology & Management, Inc. (AdSTM), a government contractor specializing in science and technology-based engineering and consulting located in McLean, and AdSTM’s former CEO, Bing Ran, also of McLean, agreed to pay $742,500 to settle allegations that AdSTM used alter ego companies to allow AdSTM to obtain contracts “set aside” for contractors participating in the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) 8(a) Program, after AdSTM was no longer eligible under the 8(a) Program.

“It is vital to the purpose of the SBA’s programs that government contracts set aside for disadvantaged small businesses are issued only to those companies that are eligible. EDVA encourages anyone to come forward with information about instances where the small business set aside program has been victimized,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The settlement arises in connection with a lawsuit filed by a former AdSTM employee under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act. United States ex rel. Guan v. AdSTM, et al. The settlement resolves allegations that AdSTM and Ran conspired to fraudulently induce federal agencies to award multiple small business set-aside contracts to Qi Tech and Foredata for which they were not eligible because they were controlled by AdSTM and Ran after AdSTM was no longer eligible under the 8(a) program because of its size. Among other criteria, to be eligible to participate in the SBA’s 8(a) Program, a company must be (1) a small business, (2) at least 51% owned by U.S. citizens who are socially and economically disadvantaged, and (3) the management and daily operations of the company must be controlled by one or more individuals that are both socially and economically disadvantaged.

“We are very pleased with today’s announcement,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “This settlement, which is the result of great cooperative efforts among our law enforcement partners, is yet another example that misuse of the government contracting process will not go unchecked.”

A whistleblower suit, or qui tam action under the False Claims Act, is commenced by an individual, known as a “relator,” filing a complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court, and providing a copy of the complaint and other evidence to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States then has an opportunity to investigate the claims. The False Claims Act provides whistleblowers with a share of the government’s recovery. The relator here, a former AdSTM employee, will receive a share of the False Claims Act settlement.

The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Field Office, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Starr.

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 at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit can be accessed on PACER by searching for No. 1:18-cv-795 (E.D. Va., Alexandria Div.).

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted four Greensboro men for their role in a murder-for-hire that resulted in the death of 59-year-old Norfolk resident, Lillian Bond, on April 19, 2016.

“This day has been a long time coming, especially for the family of Lillian Bond. This drug enterprise took the life of an innocent person, a woman well known to be kind and compassionate to her friends and family, and I hope that today’s verdict brings some measure of justice to her family,” said Jessica D. Aber, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.  “We are committed to continuing to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to reduce the amount of drug-related violence in our communities.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Jaquate Simpson, 38, and Landis Jackson, 38, were the leaders of a long-running criminal enterprise responsible for distributing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into central North Carolina and the Hampton Roads region. 

On April 13, 2016, a Norfolk-based drug dealer failed to pay over $81,000 for a multi-kilogram delivery of cocaine. Simpson and Jackson’s organization retaliated by hiring a Nine Trey gang member, Kalub Shipman, 35, to kill the next person to exit a house associated with where the Norfolk dealer had been known to frequent. Shipman initially traveled to Virginia within hours of being offered the murder-for-hire contract with a fellow gang member. They conducted surveillance on the residence and then returned to Greensboro.

Shipman then recruited Nelson Evans, 32, to assist in the murder-for-hire, offering him a portion of the $10,000 Shipman would receive upon completion. Shipman and Evans traveled to Virginia on April 18, 2016. The following morning, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Shipman and Evans entered the Ingleside neighborhood of Norfolk and shot Lillian Bond as she was taking out the trash on Trice Terrace. Ms. Bond had been an employee of the Children’s Hospital for King’s Daughters for approximately 20 years and was described as a pillar in her community.

"The suspects in this case had a complete disregard for anyone but themselves, and because of pure greed, took an innocent woman’s life to send a message. While the family of Lillian Bond can never be made whole because of these men’s senseless actions, today’s convictions can hopefully bring her family some semblance of justice and closure," said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Field Office. "This case is a stark reminder of how gun violence devastates our local communities. The FBI is committed to continuing to work with our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt this type of crime and dismantle organized criminal enterprises."

The jury found each defendant guilty of the following charges:

Name

Charges

Jaquate Simpson, a/k/a
“Quay,” “J,” “Stacks,” “Predator”

Continuing criminal enterprise; murder while engaged in continuing criminal enterprise; narcotics conspiracy; murder while engaged in a drug-trafficking offense; distribution of cocaine; use of a firearm resulting in death; conspiracy to commit murder for hire; murder for hire

Landis Jackson, a/k/a “Juve,” “Juvie”

Continuing criminal enterprise; murder while engaged in continuing criminal enterprise; narcotics conspiracy; murder while engaged in a drug-trafficking offense; distribution of cocaine; use of a firearm resulting in death; conspiracy to commit murder for hire; murder for hire

Kalub Shipman, a/k/a “Kato,” “Baydo”

Murder while engaged in a drug-trafficking offense; use of a firearm resulting in death; conspiracy to commit murder for hire; murder for hire; felon in possession of a firearm

Nelson Evans

Use of a firearm resulting in death; conspiracy to commit murder for hire; murder for hire

All four men face mandatory life sentences when sentenced. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Mike Goldsmith, Interim Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney accepted the verdict.

The case was investigated by the FBI Norfolk Field Office, Department of Homeland Security, DEA, United States Postal Inspection Service, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Police Departments of Norfolk, Greensboro, Thomasville, Winston-Salem, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, the Sheriff’s Departments of Guilford and Davidson County, and the United States Marshals Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe DePadilla, John F. Butler and Kristin G. Bird are prosecuting the case.

The case was investigated as part of four Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Burning Man, Operation Cash Cab, Operation Goodfellas and Operation Cardinal Sin. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-90.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former U.S. Department of State employee was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.

According to court documents, Dean Edward Cheves, 63, served at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines from 2017 to 2021. From December 2020 to March 2021, Cheves used a messaging application installed on his cell phone to chat with a 15- to 16-year-old Philippine minor, whom he paid to create and send to him sexually explicit images of the minor. Additionally, in February 2021, Cheves engaged in sex acts on two separate occasions with another 16-year-old Philippine minor, whom he met online. Cheves used his government-issued cell phone to film the sex acts on at least one of those occasions. The child sex abuse material that Cheves produced was found on the phone after it was seized from Cheves’ embassy residence in the Philippines. Cheves knew the ages of both minors at the time he engaged in the conduct.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Office of Special Investigations investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the DSS Regional Security Office, Homeland Security Investigations Attaché’s Office in the Philippines, and the Philippine National Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Pomerantz Halper and Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills for the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 https://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. 1:21-cr-177.

A former U.S. Department of State employee was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.

According to court documents, Dean Edward Cheves, 63, served at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines from 2017 to 2021. From December 2020 to March 2021, Cheves used a messaging application installed on his cell phone to chat with a 15- to 16-year-old Philippine minor, whom he paid to create and send to him sexually explicit images of the minor. Additionally, in February 2021, Cheves engaged in sex acts on two separate occasions with another 16-year-old Philippine minor, whom he met online. Cheves used his government-issued cell phone to film the sex acts on at least one of those occasions. The child sex abuse material that Cheves produced was found on the phone after it was seized from Cheves’ embassy residence in the Philippines. Cheves knew the ages of both minors at the time he engaged in the conduct.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.

The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Office of Special Investigations investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the DSS Regional Security Office, Homeland Security Investigations Attaché’s Office in the Philippines, and the Philippine National Police.

Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Pomerantz Halper and Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.

This case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Texas man was sentenced today to 66 months in prison for conspiring to defraud Medicare of more than $2 million by submitting thousands of fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment.

According to court documents, Jordan Thomas Broome, 37, was the owner and operator of Beach Medical Suppliers, LLC (“Beach Medical”), which had its storefront in Virginia Beach. Broome enrolled Beach Medical in Medicare in 2018 and thereafter submitted thousands of fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment such as back and knee braces. Working with other companies and individuals, Beach Medical would unlawfully obtain the personal identifying information of elderly Medicare beneficiaries, mail them braces that they never wanted or needed, and then submit fraudulent bills to Medicare. The scheme included a network of doctors who would “robo-sign” prescriptions for patients the doctors had never met. During the scheme, which lasted until federal agents executed a search warrant at Beach Medical in late 2020, Beach Medical obtained approximately $2,153,200.44 in fraudulent billings involving more than 2,000 Medicare beneficiaries.

Broome is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a former Naval officer.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wilson Hanes.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Rebecca Gantt and Kevin P. Hudson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-79.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to three years in prison for possessing and selling multiple machinegun conversion devices, also known as Glock switches, that are designed to convert firearms into fully automatic machineguns.

According to court documents, Zantias Tyler, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing and transporting multiple machinegun conversion devices, which are illegal under federal law because they are designed solely to convert a firearm into a fully automatic weapon. In June 2022, the ATF Internet Investigations Branch identified a YouTube channel where Tyler showcased several videos promoting the manufacture and sale of devices specific to “Glock-Style” firearms, commonly referred to as “switches” or “Glock switches.”

Previously, in May 2022, Tyler had been stopped and questioned by Richmond police, and during that encounter, the officers recovered two Glock switches attached to Tyler’s key chain. Further investigation by the ATF intercepted packages mailed by Tyler containing more switches. Ultimately, two search warrants were executed on Tyler’s residence. In all, twelve conversion devices were seized by the ATF, along with a package of 30 additional device parts, two firearms, and evidence of dozens of online sales of these devices.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael T. Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Duffey prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-145.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man pleaded guilty today to filing a false individual income tax return for the 2016 tax year.

According to court documents, Samer Najia was the owner and operator of Najia Systems, an information technology consultancy located in Alexandria. From 2012 to 2018, Najia knowingly filed false individual income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) that fraudulently represented that he had paid $229,279 in individual income taxes, when in fact he still owed that money to the IRS. To conceal the fraud, Najia provided false wage and tax statements to his accountant that misrepresented the taxes that he had paid to the IRS.

In addition to filing false individual tax returns, from 2012 through 2018, Najia willfully failed to satisfy his employment tax responsibilities. As the owner and operator of Najia Systems, Najia had an obligation to file employment tax returns. Despite knowing about this duty, Najia did not file employment tax returns for more than 24 quarters. Further, Najia was responsible for withholding and paying payroll taxes to the IRS. This consists of an employee portion comprised of Medicare, Social Security, and federal income taxes, and an employer portion comprised of Medicare and Social Security taxes. Despite collecting taxes from his employees, Najia did not timely pay either the employee or employer portions of the employment taxes to the IRS, resulting in a tax loss of $915,671.

Najia is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of three 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.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Morgan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen McCarthy 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. 1:23-cr-45.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two men pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud in connection with a penny-stock manipulation scheme.

According to court documents, from at least November 2016 through October 2018, Phillip W. Offill, Jr., 64, of Dallas, Texas; Justin Wallace Herman, 52, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania; and others conspired to misappropriate millions of shares of a publicly traded company that held mining claims in Arizona and Idaho. The defendants then fraudulently marketed the shares for sale through third parties, including call centers, who made materially false statements to potential investors, while manipulating the market so that the stock falsely appeared to be trading more actively than it actually was. As a result of the scheme, victim investors lost approximately $1.3 million.

Over a decade ago, in January 2010, Offill, a former attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, was convicted during a jury trial in the Eastern District of Virginia for participating in multimillion-dollar pump-and-dump stock manipulation schemes. Offill was sentenced on April 23, 2010 to eight years in prison in connection with that case. Offill was serving a three-year term of supervised release when he committed the new offense to which he pleaded guilty yesterday.

Offill and Herman are scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2023. They each face a maximum penalty of 25 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.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the guilty pleas.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Pedersen of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and Amanda Fretto Lingwood of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section at the Justice Department, 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. 1:22-cr-152.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax-based home health care company and two executives agreed to pay $1 million to resolve claims arising from an alleged kickback scheme designed to obtain referrals for home health and hospice patients.

The United States alleged that from 2012 to 2021, Pro Healthcare Servicing, LLC (Pro Health), its Chief Executive Officer, Erwin Cheng, and its Chief Administrator, Gloria Jiang, both of Ashburn, paid kickbacks to employees at various assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities throughout northern Virginia to induce those facilities to refer patients to Pro Health for home health and hospice services. Pro Health then billed Medicare for services rendered to those patients.

The United States further alleged that while Pro Health was engaged in the kickback scheme, the company fraudulently obtained pandemic-relief loans through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program by falsely certifying that the company was not engaged in any illegal activity when applying for the loans.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hochul and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilene Albala.

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

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.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to ten years in prison for possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, David Hooke, 48, previously was convicted in 2016 in Franklin (Virginia) Circuit Court for possession of child pornography. After serving a brief period in jail, Hooke moved into the Onesimus Transition Center (OTC), a residential facility in Chesapeake for men who have been released from prison. In March 2021, the FBI received information that a computer user at OTC was sharing images of child pornography. In September 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at OTC. Hooke, who was on state supervision at the time, admitted to sharing images of child pornography online, and an analysis of his computers revealed numerous images of child pornography.

During the execution of the search warrant, another OTC resident and convicted sex offender, Morris Guy Warren, was also found to be in possession of child pornography. Warren was sentenced in federal court to ten years’ imprisonment in December 2022.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi and Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) 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 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. 2:22-cr-61.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute thousands of counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl in northern Virginia.

According to court documents, Alpha Amin Kamara, 25, engaged in a conspiracy to distribute thousands of fentanyl pills from May 2022 until his arrest on June 26, 2022. Kamara was serving a term of home confinement when he entered the conspiracy, following his release from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons just days earlier. He immediately began distributing fentanyl pills to customers in northern Virginia, which he obtained through the U.S. Postal Service from sources in Arizona and Washington state.

On June 26, 2022, while driving a stolen vehicle, Kamara led police on a chase at speeds in excess of 140 miles per hour on Interstate 95. The resulting crash led to the discovery of over 18,000 fentanyl pills in the back of the stolen vehicle.

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; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis, III.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker 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. 1:22-cr-175.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Stockbridge, Georgia, woman was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for conspiring with others to submit millions of dollars in fraudulent disaster-related loan applications in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to court documents, Nikki Mitchum, 45, participated in a conspiracy to obtain disaster-related loan benefits in the form of Small Business Administration (SBA) sponsored Economic Injury Disaster loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. These programs, initiated and expanded under the Cares Act, are designed to provide support for small businesses for expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nikki Mitchum and her co-conspirators, including Malik Mitchum, 27, and Jenna Mitchum, 27, of Hampton, submitted fraudulent claims for government benefits in the name of businesses that they falsely represented were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Between March 2020 and May 2021, approximately 13 fraudulent applications for pandemic-related loan benefits were submitted using Nikki Mitchum’s information that contained false statements and misrepresentations about their income, employment, and claimed business entities. Nikki Mitchum is further linked to four other fraudulent loan applications by the IP address used to submit the applications. Finally, Nikki Mitchum is connected with 17 fraudulent loan applications submitted by other co-conspirators who paid kickbacks in an approximate amount of $204,000 to the companies owned and operated by Nikki Mitchum.

Malik and Jenna Mitchum previously pleaded guilty and were linked to more than $5.5 million in intended loss and caused approximately $1.4 million in actual loss to the United States and participating financial institutions. Malik Mitchum was sentenced to 51 months in prison and Jenna Mitchum was sentenced to 48 months in prison for their respective roles in the conspiracy. Nikki Mitchum has agreed to pay approximately $1.8 million in restitution to the United States for actual losses from her role in the conspiracy and is linked with intended fraud loss of more than $5.8 million.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

This case was investigated by the Newport News Financial Crimes Task Force, a partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement to combat financial crimes on the Virginia Peninsula.

Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Mack Coleman 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. 4:21-cr-85 and 4:22-cr-47.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for attempting to coerce and entice a 14-year-old minor to have sex with him.

According to court documents, Curtis Wade Spencer, 44, was on active duty in the Navy Nurse Corps. On or about July 27, 2022, Spencer contacted who he believed to be a 14-year-old minor online and began to have sexually explicit conversations with the minor. Spencer also sent videos and photographs of his genitals to the purported minor. On August 17, 2022, Spencer left his workplace at the Langley Air Force Base Hospital and traveled to a prearranged meeting spot expecting to meet the minor for sex. Instead, Spencer was arrested as the 14-year-old minor he hoped to meet was an undercover agent.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mack Hickman, Special Agent in Charge of the of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria Liu 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. 2:22-cr-117.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted an Ashburn woman today on charges of conspiracy, bank fraud, and money laundering.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Rose-Marie Nsahlai, 47, and her husband fraudulently obtained two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The PPP was a program instituted by the U.S. Congress to help businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic continue to pay salaries or wages to their employees. Nsahlai carried out the scheme in connection with two of her husband’s businesses by creating fraudulent payroll documentation for each business, and then submitting that documentation in support of the PPP loan applications. The fraudulent documentation represented that her husband’s businesses had dozens of employees with over $17 million of annual payroll in 2019, when in fact they had few, if any, employees.

In total, Nsahlai and her husband fraudulently obtained approximately $2,501,753 in loan proceeds, and they then spent those funds on items unrelated to any legitimate PPP-related expense. Those items included the down-payment on a 7,000-square-foot home in Leesburg. Nsahlai’s husband pleaded guilty to this scheme in 2021.

Nsahlai faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on July 19. 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.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kareem Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Michael Serra, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge for the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan M. Harvey and David A. Peters 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. 1:21-cr-234.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk woman pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to engage in money laundering. Two Norfolk defendants pleaded guilty last week to the same charges.

According to court documents, Si Liu, 36, and her codefendants, Yang Gao, 33, and Ye Wang, 32, conspired to move and conceal proceeds obtained through prostitution. During the conspiracy, Gao, Wang and Liu worked as operators or managers of illicit, unregistered massage parlors located in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg, which derived revenues from the prostitution of female employees for money. Women were recruited online to work for the defendants. Female employees within the massage parlors performed sex acts for customers in exchange for cash payments.

Gao managed the day-to-day operations of the parlors, including collecting money obtained via commercial sex. Gao also provided transportation to women engaged in commercial sex and maintained the facilities, unlicensed massage parlors, utilized for commercial sex. Wang assisted Gao in the operation of the illicit commercial sex business. Liu helped facilitate the exploitation of women engaged in commercial sex, collected proceeds from the illegal activity, managed the web-based advertising of the illicit massage parlors, and encouraged women to perform sex acts by providing condoms and offering financial incentives.

Gao, Wang, and Liu split the prostitution proceeds with the women engaged in prostitution. Gao, Wang and Liu traveled to the massage parlors located in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg to collect prostitution proceeds, and then deposited a percentage of profits into various bank accounts. Money was then transferred to other members of the larger enterprise through cash deliveries and via mobile banking.

Pursuant to the plea agreements the defendants agreed to forfeit four vehicles, over $130,000 in US Currency, numerous items of jewelry, a gold bar; as well as three personal residences. 

Gao and Wang previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering. Gao and Wang are scheduled to be sentenced on August 4. Liu is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11.   Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Montoya and Matthew Heck are prosecuting the case.

This case was investigated by the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force, a collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as nongovernmental organizations, working together to combat human trafficking in the Hampton Roads, Virginia region.

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. 2:22-cr-108.

NORFOLK, Va. – A former General Services Administration (GSA) Official was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for accepting bribes in exchange for directing government procurement contracts to government contractors.

According to court documents, Charles W. Jones, 59, was employed as a Supervisory Construction Control Representative with the GSA in Richmond. He had responsibility for the management and oversight of construction and renovation projects at certain federal buildings throughout the Norfolk, Richmond, and Alexandria areas. Beginning in approximately December of 2015 and continuing through August 2019, Jones received bribes totaling $411,192 from Daniel Crowe, in exchange for awarding them federal construction projects to his companies. In October of 2019, Jones received a cash payment from Jennifer Strickland, the President of SDC Contracting LLC, in exchange for awarding a contract valued at approximately $1,369,501.

Crowe and Strickland have previously pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to related charges.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Carol Fortine Ochoa, Inspector General, General Services Administration (GSA); Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Christopher Dillard, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS); and Michael Butler, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

The General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General provided significant assistance in this case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Heck 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. 2:22-cr-66.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, in March and April 2022, Calvin Ray Brown, 50, and a co-conspirator sold counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl to a Fairfax County Police Department confidential source and undercover detective on multiple occasions. When a search warrant was executed on Brown’s residence, officers recovered 999 counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl, approximately 723 grams of methamphetamine, over 500 grams of cocaine, and 665 grams of N,N-dimethylpentylone, a federally unscheduled substance similar to MDMA.

Officers also recovered $25,001 in cash, a loaded semi-automatic “ghost” gun, and a bulletproof ballistics vest. During an interview, Brown admitted that he and his co-conspirator had been distributing fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, MDMA, and crack cocaine since January 2021. He stated that, over the course of the conspiracy, they obtained about 1000 fentanyl pills every two weeks, and had also obtained 1 kilogram of methamphetamine and 8 kilograms of cocaine. Brown has a lengthy criminal history, which includes numerous convictions for drug trafficking, as well as a conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. 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.

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; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston accepted the plea.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hahn 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. 1:23-cr-30.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on February 19, 2021, T'Mar Green, 23, and another person were approached by law enforcement officers in Gilpin Court. When the officers asked if they could speak with them, both individuals began to run from the officers. While running, Green pulled out a firearm that he had in his possession and threw the loaded firearm near one of the residential buildings in the 100 block of St. James Street. Officers then detained Green and recovered the firearm. 

After officers recovered the firearm, they were able to link it to a shooting which occurred on February 16, 2021, also in Gilpin Court. On that date, Green and others engaged in a shootout where Green shot and wounded another person with the same firearm he possessed on February 19, 2021.  The victim was treated for his injuries at a local hospital. Green was previously prosecuted in State Court for the shooting.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. 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. 3:22-cr-15.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Richmond man last week on charges of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Rashon Torrence, 26, a convicted felon, threw a firearm during a foot pursuit with a Richmond Police Department officer. Around midnight on January 3, 2022, officers saw a truck speeding in a residential area. The driver, later identified as Torrence, was wearing a black ski mask. The officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Torrence, and a brief vehicle pursuit ensued. Torrence then stopped the truck and ran, with an officer in pursuit. When Torrence got to a patch of trees, he made a throwing motion, and the officer saw a black object leave Torrence’s hand. After detaining Torrence, the officer went back to the trees and found a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Officers also recovered from Torrence 10 pills of methamphetamine and 44 pills of Clonazolam, a Schedule I controlled substance in Virginia. Torrence also had $352 in his pocket. The officers also recovered an additional 122 Clonazolam pills from a bottle near to where Torrence was arrested.

Torrence has a prior conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Torrence faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on June 27. 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.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Stephen Miller 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. 3:22-cr-113.

RICHMOND, Va. – A New York man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for committing an armed robbery in Farmville, during which he shot the victim in the leg.

According to court documents, on July 16, 2020, Herbert Young III, 54, committed an armed robbery of the Farmville auto dealership, Auto Connection. During the robbery, Young physically restrained the victim-owner’s hands using an electrical extension cord and a phone charging cord. When a customer entered the store, the victim attempted to free himself and flee. Before the victim could do so, Young shot at him and struck the calf area of the victim’s right leg.

Young then stole a 2000 BMW, which belonged to the Auto Connection and fled the scene. In addition to the 2000 BMW, Young took the victim’s cell phone as well as other property that belonged to the Auto Connection.  DNA evidence obtained from the extension cord later tied Young to the armed robbery.  Prior to his conviction in this case, Young had been previously convicted of three separate armed robberies and an aggravated assault where he shot the victim.

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 Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. and Michael R. Gill 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. 3:22-cr-77.

NORFOLK, Va. – An Isle of Wight man was sentenced today to 81 months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

According to court documents, on June 27, 2018, Ronald Devon Matthews, 36, was convicted of carrying a firearm without a license, a felony, in Pennsylvania. On Dec. 7, 2021, Matthews was arrested after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence in Carrsville. During the search, deputies discovered a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun and ammunition under a sofa in the den of the residence. Law enforcement also discovered two 9mm pistols, magazines, ammunition​, and a bulletproof vest in a gun safe in Matthews’ bedroom.

From jail, Matthews made phone calls instructing an accomplice to clean out his storage unit in Franklin. The following day, deputies executed a search warrant on Matthews’ storage unit and discovered four rifles, four pistols, one shotgun, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, 2.2 kilograms of marijuana, and a digital scale bearing methamphetamine residue. Two of the firearms were affixed with devices subsequently determined to be illegal “firearm silencers” or “firearm mufflers” by the ATF Firearms Technology Branch. 

Matthews was sentenced to 81 months in prison with 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit 14 firearms and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Darrell Logwood, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

Significant assistance was provided by the Isle of Wight Sherriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. 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. 2:22-cr-110.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two men were sentenced today to over 14 years in prison combined for money laundering as part of a business email compromise (BEC) scheme.

According to court documents, Onyewuchi Victor Ibeh, 33, of Mitchellville, Maryland, and Jason Eugene Joyner, 42, of Hyattsville, Maryland, participated in a scheme to launder the proceeds of a BEC scheme. In this scheme, conspirators infiltrate the computer systems of a victim company, including their email servers and email accounts, through phishing attacks or the use of malware. Once there, the conspirators impersonate the victim’s business partner and claim the business partner’s bank account information has changed. Intending to send the money to the business partner, the victim business instead sends the money to bank accounts controlled by the conspirators.

According to trial testimony, the network of accounts operated by defendants laundered about $13 million fraudulently obtained from numerous victim businesses between July 2016 and May 2020. Five of the defrauded businesses testified at trial, including one headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia. The co-conspirators laundered the proceeds of the scheme through various financial transactions using dozens of bank accounts that they directly and indirectly controlled. Joyner’s role in the scheme was to withdraw the proceeds of the fraud in cash, which he delivered to other conspirators, including Ibeh. Ibeh’s role in the scheme was to manage the money laundering by causing conspirators to open bank accounts, which he used to wire money domestically and internationally. Ibeh spent the proceeds of the fraud on luxury items, including a custom jewelry piece costing close to $40,000.

Ibeh was sentenced to 10 years and Joyner was sentenced to 51 months in prison. Ibeh and Joyner conspired with, among others, Anthony Ayeah and Mouaaz Elkhebri, both of whom have also been convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Ray, Inspector in Charge of Cybercrime and National Security of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Matthew Stohler, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hood, Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Carlberg, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Bagwell 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. 1:21-cr-200.

NORFOLK, Va. – Three individuals were sentenced today and last week to 58 months in prison combined for engaging in a straw purchasing conspiracy.  

According to court documents, from March 2020 through July 23, 2020, David Collins, 34, of Vineland, New Jersey, Cardel Howard, 36, of Norfolk, and Felicia Tyson, 36, also of Norfolk, conspired together to straw purchase firearms in Virginia Beach, and traffic the firearms to New Jersey. During the conspiracy, Tyson acted as a straw purchaser of firearms on behalf of others, including defendants Howard and Collins.

In total, Tyson purchased seven firearms and attempted to purchase an eighth firearm for other individuals. Howard directed Tyson as to which firearms to purchase and how much to charge others for firearms. Collins traveled from New Jersey to Virginia for the purpose of acquiring a firearm in Virginia, which he could not acquire on his own because he is a convicted felon and a resident of New Jersey. The investigation into this group began after law enforcement in New Jersey recovered a firearm during a shooting investigation and determined that the firearm was previously purchased by Tyson.

Collins was sentenced today to 22 months in prison. On February 15, Howard was sentenced to 22 months’ incarceration for his role in the conspiracy. On February 8, Tyson was sentenced to 14 months' incarceration for her role in the conspiracy.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Darrell Longwood, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Montoya prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. 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. 2:22-cr-76.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Belize City, Belize, man was extradited to the United States Tuesday on charges of laundering tens of millions of dollars of drug proceeds on behalf of notorious international drug trafficking organizations.

According to court documents, Jianxing Chen, 42, led and controlled a network of couriers who transported cash generated by the domestic sale of controlled substances. Some of the cash came from cocaine sales throughout the United States – including Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, as well as in the Eastern District of Virginia.  At Chen’s direction, couriers transported drug money across the country to locations in New York City. From there it was laundered through a variety of methods until it, or its equivalent value, was remitted to drug trafficking organizations in Latin America, including Mexico. Chen received “contracts” to transport and launder this money through Xizhi Li, who was also prosecuted and convicted based on the same superseding indictment.

Below is a table of defendants also named in the superseding indictment along with their sentences:

Name

Charges

Conviction/Sentence

Xizhi Li

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering

Money laundering, 180 months

Jiayu Chen

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering

Money laundering, 60 months

Eric Yong Woo

Count 3 (money laundering)

Money laundering, 18 months

Jingyuan Li

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering)

Money laundering, 84 months

Tao Liu

Counts 1-14 (drug trafficking, money laundering, attempted identity fraud, bribery

Money laundering, bribery, 84 months

 

Chen was arrested in Lima, Peru, on June 14, 2021, based on the superseding indictment and held in that country until his extradition was approved and executed on February 21, 2023.

Chen is charged with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending and having reasonable cause to believe it will be unlawfully imported into the United States, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Chen faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life imprisonment. 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.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wendy C. Woolcock, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA-Louisville; Frank. A. Tarentino III , Special Agent in Charge for the DEA-New York; Jessica Moore, Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); and James M. Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Peters and Michael P. Ben’Ary, along with Trial Attorneys Mary Daly, and Stephen A. Sola of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, are prosecuting the case.

Significant assistance was provided by law enforcement partners in Australia, Guatemala, Mexico, and New Zealand.

The case was investigated as part of two Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Dark Castle and Operation Taishan Triangle. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-334.

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

RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico County man was sentenced today to 110 months in prison for drug trafficking and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.   

According to court documents, Anthony Sylvester Gaines, 42, rented an extended stay hotel room in Henrico County where he was storing and preparing numerous types of drugs for distribution.  When the police searched the room pursuant to a search warrant, the police recovered approximately 132 grams of cocaine, 9 grams of heroin and fentanyl mix, 29 fake Oxycodone “M30” pills that contained fentanyl and 28 red and green tablets that contained methamphetamine. Additionally, the police seized a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol from the counter in the bathroom. Inside of Gaines’ vehicle which was parked in the parking lot of the hotel, the police recovered another loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol along with two additional bags containing cocaine. Gaines was a convicted felon. Gaines was sentenced to 50 months of imprisonment on the drug distribution charge and 60 months consecutive on the firearm charge. 

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Rick Edwards, Acting Chief of Richmond Police Department; 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 David J. Novak.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Norman prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. 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. 3:22-cr-94.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A sixteen-plus year veteran of, and former sergeant with, the Newport News Police Department was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of children and receipt of child pornography.

According to court documents, Michael Nicholas Covey, 39, of Newport News, used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. In a separate investigation, child sexual assault images were found on a convicted sex offender’s electronic devices in Cincinnati, Ohio. Those images were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Alexandria. During the analysis of the images, NCMEC determined that the images may have been produced in Newport News. NCMEC forwarded the information to the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which, in turn, contacted the FBI. Agents with the FBI were able to identify the child depicted in the images. Further investigation led the agents to the defendant, Michael Nicholas Covey. He was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on Friday, June 10.

According to court documents, Covey was originally indicted in June 2022 on three counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Law enforcement later discovered an additional cellular phone belonging to Covey that he had concealed in a container in the back of his patrol vehicle. New evidence on this phone led to additional charges of sexual exploitation of a second minor victim, as well as receipt and possession of child pornography counts in a superseding indictment filed in July 2022. Covey also received a sentencing enhancement for obstructing justice. Covey pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of receipt of child pornography last September.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.

Newport News Police Department provided significant assistance in this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa McKeel and Peter G. Osyf 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. 4:22-cr-48.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia has implemented the new United States Attorney’s Offices’ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy released earlier today.

The policy, which is effective immediately, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), and provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate and timely and appropriately remediate.

Under the new VSD policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it becomes aware of misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the DOJ, and discloses all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to a USAO in a timely fashion prior to an imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation. A company that voluntarily self-discloses as defined in the policy and fully meets the other requirements of the policy, by—in the absence of any aggravating factor—fully cooperating and timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct (including agreeing to pay all disgorgement, forfeiture, and restitution resulting from the misconduct), will receive significant benefits, including that the USAO will not seek a guilty plea; may choose not to impose any criminal penalty, and in any event will not impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50% below the low end of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) fine range; and will not seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program.

The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met: (1) if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; (2) if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or (3) if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required; instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy, including that the USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50% and up to a 75% reduction off the low end of the USSG fine range, and that the USAO will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program.

In cases where a company is being jointly prosecuted by a USAO and another DOJ component, or where the misconduct reported by the company falls within the scope of conduct covered by VSD policies administered by other DOJ components, the USAO will coordinate with, or, if necessary, obtain approval from, the DOJ component responsible for the VSD policy specific to the reported misconduct when considering a potential resolution. Consistent with relevant provisions of the Justice Manual and as allowable under alternate VSD policies, the USAO may choose to apply any provision of an alternate VSD policy in addition to, or in place of, any provision of its policy.

The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York  Damian Williams, requested that the White Collar Fraud Subcommittee of the AGAC, under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, develop policies in response to the Deputy AG’s memo. The policy announced today was prepared by a Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policy Working Group comprised of U.S. Attorneys from geographically diverse districts, including U.S. Attorney Peace, as well as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Clare Connors, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher Kavanaugh, and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip Sellinger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Riedel, White Collar Crimes Coordinator for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, also participated in the development of the policy.

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.

 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Capitol Heights, Maryland, man was sentenced today to 2 years in prison for conspiring to engage in dogfighting.

According to court documents, from May 2015 through at least August 2020, Charles Edward Williams, III, 50, and other conspirators from Virginia, D.C., and Maryland, used a messaging app private group, which they generally referred to as “The DMV Board” or “The Board,” as a place where they and their associates could discuss training fighting dogs, exchange videos about dogfighting, and arrange and coordinate dog fights, away from the view of law enforcement authorities. Members of The DMV Board also used the messaging app to compare methods of killing dogs that lost fights, as well as to circulate media reports about conspirators who had been caught by law enforcement and discuss methods to minimize the likelihood that they would be caught themselves.

Williams entered multiple dogs into fights. For example, in March 2018, Williams entered a dog into a fight at a warehouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement officers broke up the fight and apprehended several weapons and two injured dogs from the warehouse. They also arrested those who were present, including Williams.

In April 2019, Williams and coconspirator Michael Roy Hilliard, 37, of Fort Washington, Maryland, drove to Bunnlevel, North Carolina, with a dog belonging to Williams, so that he could enter the dog in a dog fight. The fight lasted less than 10 minutes before being won by the dog belonging to Williams. An unindicted conspirator shot and killed the dog that lost the fight.

In August 2022, Williams, Hilliard, and five others were indicted for a dogfighting conspiracy involving the “DMV Board.” In November 2022, Williams, Hilliard, and their co-defendants Derek Garcia and Ricardo Thorne pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy.

Hilliard, Garcia, and Thorne are scheduled to be sentenced in March 2023. They each face a maximum penalty of 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cristina Stam and Gordon Kromberg 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. 1:22-cr-154.