Eastern District of Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Palm Bay, Florida man was sentenced today to six years in prison for an investment fraud scheme involving the supposed production and sale of motorized surfboards.

According to court documents, Roberto Clark, 50, previously a resident of Bethesda, Maryland, operated a scheme to defraud small investors in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. As part of the scheme, Clark falsely promised that the investments made with Clark’s company, KRM Services, would go toward manufacturing “Jetboards” for resale to third parties at substantial profits. Instead, Clark spent the money on maintaining his lavish lifestyle.

To execute the scheme, Clark falsified sales contracts with cruise lines and water sports companies; forged signatures and notary stamps; fabricated emails from supposed buyers of the Jetboards; and falsified a patent report so that it would appear he could obtain a patent on the Jetboard. He provided all of this false information to investors to convince them to invest in KRM Services. In reality, Clark had purchased a Chinese-made motorized surfboard that had serious mechanical and design problems and never properly functioned. Clark never sold a single surfboard to any buyer.

Clark primarily defrauded small investors, including people he met socially in local restaurants and bars. He maxed out one victim’s personal credit card on Christmas Eve so that she could not buy her daughter a present or travel to see family. According to court documents, Clark stole more than $400,000 from 14 victims between 2016 and 2019, causing substantial financial hardship to a number of them.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Matthew S. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office; and Michael L. Brown, Alexandria Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. The Fairfax County Police Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission also provided assistance in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell L. Carlberg and Kimberly Riley Pedersen 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. 1:19-cr-332.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Seabrook, New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today to his role in a nationwide conspiracy to distribute synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “spice” or “K2.”

According to court documents, William Walsh, 56, operated two shops in Seabrook—“Up N Smoke” and “The Smoking Monkey”—from which he sold retail quantities of spice, along with smoking paraphernalia such as rolling papers and glass pipes. Walsh ordered the spice that he sold in his stores from a California-based wholesale spice manufacturing and distribution operation.

At times during the conspiracy, Walsh ordered thousands of dollars of spice per week from his California-based co-conspirators, whose illicit business held itself out as Aroma Superstore. The spice was sold in packages bearing the label “Not For Human Consumption” in an attempt to avoid law enforcement scrutiny, and Walsh instructed his employees not to discuss the fact that the spice was smoked or otherwise used as a drug. The products were, in reality, intended to be consumed and induce a “high” similar to other controlled substances. The spice connected to this conspiracy caused one of the defendant’s customers, referred to in court documents as J.S., to fatally overdose.

In November 2019, law enforcement searched Up N Smoke, The Smoking Monkey, and Walsh’s residence. In the course of executing the search warrants, agents seized approximately 12 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids packaged for distribution, and a total of more than $676,000 in cash.

Walsh pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute Schedule I controlled substances, and he is scheduled to appear at a status hearing on March 31, 2021. He 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.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Robert P. Mosier, Fauquier County Sheriff; and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Bibeane Metsch 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. 1:20-cr-76.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Leesburg man pleaded guilty today to fraudulently obtaining two loans for over $2.5 million under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”).

“At a time when countless families and business owners nationwide are struggling to make ends meet during the ongoing pandemic, Didier Kindambu committed a multimillion-dollar bank fraud by misappropriating COVID-19 taxpayer relief funds to pay for his lavish lifestyle,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Together with our law enforcement partners, this Office will continue to prosecute and bring to justice those who seek to exploit essential pandemic recovery programs and profit from the misfortunes of others for personal gain.”

According to court documents, Didier K. Kindambu, 49, fraudulently obtained two PPP loans under a program instituted by the U.S. Congress to help businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic continue to pay salary or wages to their employees. Kindambu carried out the scheme in connection with two businesses that he owns 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 Kindambu’s businesses had dozens of employees with millions of dollars in payroll expenses, when in fact they had few, if any, employees.

In total, Kindambu fraudulently obtained approximately $2,501,753 in loan proceeds, and he then spent those funds, in part, on items unrelated to any legitimate PPP-related expense. Those items included a Lexus automobile and Cessna aircraft; Kindambu’s personal taxes, the down-payment on a luxury residence in Leesburg, and his day-to-day living expenses; and various purchases of jewelry, clothing, accessories, and shoes.

Kindambu pleaded guilty to bank fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2021. 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.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General of the Small Business Administration (SBA); and Jay N. Lerner, Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Burke 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. 1:20-cr-260.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Three Colombian nationals pleaded guilty today to possessing with the intent to distribute nearly 1,500 kilograms of cocaine when they were interdicted in an unregistered vessel on the Pacific Ocean.

According to court documents, on August 6, 2020, Eliovar Pineda, 45, Jenuar Angulo, 40, and Marcial Cuero, 68, were intercepted with 1,479 kilograms of cocaine, while traveling in international waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The street value of the cocaine in Newport News is between $45-55 million. Pineda, Angulo, and Cuero were caught aboard a “Go Fast” vessel, which had no indicia or markings of nationality.

While on routine patrol in international waters, the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Hamilton was dispatched to intercept a go-fast-vessel that had been located approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of Coiba Island, Panama. The USCGC Hamilton subsequently launched a helicopter, which was able to come in contact with the go-fast-vessel. The go-fast-vessel then became disabled and a subsequent boarding resulted in the detainment of the three smugglers while still in international waters. Members of the Coast Guard boarding team subsequently seized approximately 1,479 kilograms of cocaine.

Pineda, Angulo, and Cuero are scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2021. Pineda faces up to twenty years in prison while Angulo and Cuero face up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the pleas.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt is prosecuting the case.

This investigation was conducted by DEA’s Hampton Post of Duty and the U.S. Coast Guard, with assistance from the Hampton Police Department, Newport News Police Department, Newport News Sheriff’s Office, and York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.

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. 4:20-cr-66.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Camp Springs, Maryland man was sentenced today to 140 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, which led to the seizure of over $1 million in cash, approximately 45 kilograms of cocaine, over $240,000 worth of jewelry, four firearms, and body armor-piercing ammunition.

According to court documents, between May 2019 and February 2020, Romaine Anthony Dixon, 32, conspired to distribute cocaine. Beginning in and around July 2019, Dixon traveled to California approximately every three to four weeks to purchase cocaine. On average, Dixon would transport $500,000 to California to pay his source of supply. Dixon and his co-conspirators would then ship cocaine from California in large crates to the Eastern District of Virginia.

Dixon was arrested in his vehicle in February 2020 in possession of approximately 25 kilograms of cocaine and $11,268 in cash. One of Dixon’s co-conspirators also was arrested that day in possession of 20 kilograms of cocaine and one-and-a-half kilograms of heroin.

After the execution of search warrants at Dixon’s residence, law enforcement seized approximately $1,044,451 in cash, jewelry valued at approximately $244,125, one kilogram of cocaine, one kilogram of fentanyl, three firearms, and body armor-piercing ammunition, among other items. At another location associated with Dixon, law enforcement found kilogram wrappings and an AK-47.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division; and Michael L. Chapman, Loudoun County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary and Bibeane Metsch 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. 1:20-cr-156.

NORFOLK, Va. – A New Jersey resident and citizen of the Dominican Republic was sentenced today to almost five years in prison for participating in the illegal straw purchase of at least 25 firearms, which he shipped to the Dominican Republic.

According to court documents, Greilin Eurinio Santana-Munoz, 31, a carnival worker and convicted felon, used several straw purchasers to obtain at least 25 handguns from federally licensed gun stores in Virginia and Georgia. Santana-Munoz then shipped the firearms out of the country to the Dominican Republic.

Santana-Munoz used one associate to straw purchase ten handguns from Virginia gun stores in Chantilly, Manassas, and Virginia Beach. He was arrested in Georgia after ATF agents watched another straw purchaser buy four handguns at a gun store and deliver them to Santana-Munoz while he was waiting outside the store in his boss’s vehicle.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson 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. 2:20-cr-29.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Polish citizen, who was employed as a federal contractor for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, was sentenced today to five years in prison for receiving images of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents, Michal Piotrowicz, 40, while living in Alexandria, used a peer-to-peer file-sharing program to receive and possess over 1,000 images of child pornography, featuring the sexual exploitation of young girls. While he was under investigation, Piotrowicz was intercepted and arrested at Dulles International Airport as he attempted to leave the country.

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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s 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.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay V. Prabhu and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa L. Chong 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. 1:20-cr-211.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Glen Allen man pleaded guilty today to committing wire fraud and making false statements to a federally insured bank during a two-year scheme to defraud both a Pennsylvania-based bank and the Export-Import Bank of the United States in connection with a $1.6 million loan.

According to court documents, Tae Il Lee, 41, was the Managing Director of New World Group, a Richmond-based company engaged in the business of exporting American snacks and other food stuffs to international buyers (typically South Korean companies). In April 2016, Lee sought what eventually became a $1.6 million loan from First National Bank of Pennsylvania, relying on the “Working Capital Program” offered by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank). Under the program, EXIM guaranteed to provide financial backing for the loan in the event that New World Group defaulted.

Over the next two years, Lee regularly provided First National Bank, and the bank’s auditing firm, with financial documents that purported to show New World Group’s accounts receivable, banking statements, and financial statements. These documents reflected that New World Group was a growing, thriving export company, grossing more than $6 million in export sales in 2017 and another $6.3 million in just the first few months of 2018. Lee admitted in court today that those documents were false.

According to court documents, Lee had created fictitious accounts receivable and financial statements, and doctored New World Group’s actual bank statements to show non-existent, high-dollar transactions that never took place. During the course of his fraud scheme, Lee also created a fictitious intermediary—a purported employee of New World Group—in order to account for delays in Lee’s communications with First National Bank.

In the spring of 2018, First National Bank issued a demand letter for the $1.6 million loan to New World Group. New World Group never completed any payments to First National Bank, which requested that EXIM cover the defaulted loan. EXIM did so, absorbing the $1.6 million loss.

Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2021. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and 30 years in prison for making false statements to a federally insured bank. 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.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jennifer Fain, Acting Inspector General for the Export-Import Bank of the United States, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Garnett and Kaitlin G. Cooke are prosecuting the case.

This matter was investigated by the EXIM Office of Inspector General (OIG). EXIM is the official export credit agency of the United States and assists in financing the export of U.S. goods and services to international markets. Complaints and reports of waste, fraud, and abuse related to EXIM programs and operations can be reported to the OIG hotline at 888-OIG-EXIM (888-644-3946) or via email at IGhotline@exim.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. 3:21-cr-2.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the FBI affirmed their commitment today to holding accountable anyone who, in connection with tomorrow’s presidential inauguration, commits acts of violence or otherwise violates federal law in the Eastern District of Virginia, including at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond.

“While the First Amendment protects the right of individuals to assemble peaceably, it does not provide safe harbor to those who engage in repugnant and destructive behavior to violently attack our Nation’s democracy,” said Raj Parekh, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our office—in partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement—will thoroughly investigate and prosecute those who commit violence, destroy property, or threaten others in violation of federal law. For anyone who is contemplating traveling from EDVA to D.C. to engage in criminal acts during tomorrow’s inauguration events, know that we stand united and will assist our counterparts in the District of Columbia to ensure a peaceful inauguration. Likewise, for those considering traveling to the Virginia State Capitol to engage in criminal activity, EDVA, the FBI, and our law enforcement partners will act quickly to seek justice and hold you accountable.”

The FBI is the lead federal agency for intelligence analysis and dissemination to law enforcement partners, counterterrorism, and crisis management for the inauguration. “FBI agents, analysts, and professional staff are working around the clock with our partners to identify, investigate, and respond to any threats that might arise in the National Capital Region,” said Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office. “While the FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights, those who wish to use this freedom to instigate violent and destructive behavior will not be tolerated and will be held to account for their unlawful actions.”

If you have any information, tips, or digital media depicting rioting or violence at the U.S. Capitol Building or its surrounding area, please visit fbi.gov/USCapitol or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. If you have any information about unlawful activity in or around Virginia’s State Capitol Building, please contact FBI’s Richmond Field Office at 804-261-1161.

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement.

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

RICHMOND, Va. – An Indian national pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and identity theft in connection with his operation of an overseas robocall scam that defrauded thousands of mostly elderly victims of at least $8 million.

According to court documents, Shehzadkhan Pathan, 39, operated a call center in Ahmedabad, India from which automated robocalls were made to victims in the United States. After establishing contact with victims through these automated calls, Pathan and other “closers” at his call center would coerce, cajole, and trick victims to send bulk cash through physical shipments and electronic money transfers. Pathan and his conspirators used a variety of schemes to convince victims to send money, including impersonating law enforcement officers from the FBI and DEA and representatives of other government agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, to threaten victims with severe legal and financial consequences. Conspirators also convinced victims to send money as initial installments for falsely promised loans.

In addition to operating the call center, Pathan recruited and supervised several money mules who he directed to receive money sent by victims. Pathan’s network of money mules was located in multiple states, including but not limited to Virginia, New Jersey, Minnesota, Texas, California, South Carolina, and Illinois. Pathan assigned various aliases to these individuals and supplied them with hundreds of counterfeit identification documents to facilitate their receipt of victim cash shipments and money transfers. Pathan then directed the money mules to send the money to himself and other conspirators through various means, including cash deposits into numerous bank accounts and via informal money transmitters known as Hawalas.

Pathan’s scams disproportionately targeted elderly victims, many of whom suffered substantial financial hardship. In total, Pathan is responsible for defrauding over 4,000 U.S. victims of at least $8 million.

Pathan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2021. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy, along with a mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. 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.

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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian R. Hood 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. 3:19-cr-160.

RICHMOND, Va. – A former Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employee was sentenced today to 28 months in prison for his role in a seven-year bribery conspiracy involving the DMV’s Virginia Rider Training Program (VRTP).

According to court documents, Bruce A. Biondo, 64, of Mechanicsville, was the former Program Manager of the VRTP, and worked for the DMV from 1988 until 2018. Beginning in at least 2011 and continuing to March 2018, Biondo accepted bribes from outside contractors, including a $15,000 payment from the sham sale of a motorcycle in 2011, additional cash payments totaling over $74,000 between February 2014 and February 2018, as well as the use of a Ford F-450 pick-up truck for personal purposes. In exchange, Biondo performed official actions to benefit the preferred VRTP contractors who provided the bribes. In particular, Biondo used his official position to steer a lucrative contract and licenses to his conspirators.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Michael C. Westfall, Virginia State Inspector General; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent; and Joseph Hill, DMV Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak imposed the sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Lee Martin and former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Maguire prosecuted 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. 3:20-cr-18.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty today to assaulting a longtime United States Postal Service city carrier who was delivering mail in the Gilpin Court neighborhood.

According to court documents, video surveillance captured Erriette Williams, 45, approach USPS city carrier J.B., grab a parcel key from him, and, after daring J.B. to pick up the parcel key, punch him in the face. The city carrier sustained lacerations to his face and later received medical attention.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2021. He 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-79.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for conspiring to illegally straw purchase 17 firearms.

According to court documents, Corey Randolph Harris, Jr., 27, conspired with an unnamed co-conspirator to knowingly make false statements with respect to the purchase of firearms. Between April 2019 and July 2019, Harris straw purchased 17 firearms in eight separate transactions, all from federal firearms licensees in the Eastern District of Virginia. In each transaction, Harris represented himself as the true buyer of the firearms when, in fact, he was purchasing them on behalf of the unnamed co-conspirator and selling them to the unnamed co-conspirator for a profit. The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. recovered two of the firearms from individuals other than Harris and the unnamed co-conspirator.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, 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 Natasha Smalky 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. 1:20-cr-212.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – United States Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger today announced that he will step down from his post as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) effective 11:59 p.m. on January 15.

“It is with tremendous gratitude for the women and men of Team EDVA, our selfless federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and my incredibly supportive family that I conclude my time in public service,” said Terwilliger. “It has been the honor of honors to be in the arena with so many dedicated individuals in the pursuit of justice, and I feel so fortunate to conclude my service as the United States Attorney in the district where it all began. To the people of the EDVA, thank you for the extraordinary opportunity to serve you. May you and your families have a safe, healthy, and productive 2021.”

Terwilliger’s tenure at EDVA will be remembered for his relentless efforts to increase public safety and security across the Commonwealth, as well as his commitment to the approximately 300 employees of the Eastern District whom he always referred to as “Team EDVA.”

Terwilliger directed significant resources towards combatting the opioid epidemic; developed a new illegal firearms trafficking initiative designed to thwart gun running in the DMV; worked tirelessly to further the District’s white-collar footprint by enhancing collaboration with DOJ’s Fraud  Section; signed the first MOU with the new Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery; oversaw some of the most important national security cases in the country; was the embodiment of federal, state, and local law enforcement collaboration by regularly hosting and attending law enforcement roundtables and summits, including the Peninsula Violent Crime Summit in June 2019, and the Tri-Cities Violent Crime Summit in September 2019, where he oversaw transformational violent crime initiatives in both Richmond and the Tri-Cities (Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell) areas; and frequently traveled the District to meet with police chiefs and sheriffs with a commitment to work hand and glove to provide support to their efforts.

Terwilliger began his career at EDVA as an intern in 1999, returned in 2005 as a summer law clerk, was appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2008, and was hired as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2010. Terwilliger prosecuted numerous violent crime, fraud, organized crime, and human trafficking cases, and managed law enforcement task forces focusing on human trafficking and firearms. In addition to his prosecutorial duties, Terwilliger served as a counselor to former U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride, then served as a detailed AUSA and counsel to Senate Judiciary Chairman Senator Chuck Grassley. In January of 2017, Terwilliger, then a career prosecutor, was named co-lead of the Department of Justice Beachhead Team and helped to standup the Department during the first weeks of the new administration. Often working 20-hour days, Terwilliger provided critical support to components across the Justice Department as an Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Office of Deputy Attorney General (ODAG). He also supported the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, and had responsibility for oversight and collaboration with the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, as well as many other areas.

“I first met Zach when he arrived in the Deputy Attorney General’s office on January 20, 2017,” said Lee Lofthus, Assistant Attorney General for Administration, Department of Justice. “He hit the ground running and never stopped. Zach’s close work with Justice Department leadership and his teamwork with the Justice Management Division was outstanding.”

In May 2018, after nearly 18 months of service in ODAG including as Chief of Staff, Terwilliger was appointed as U.S. Attorney. With the support of Virginia’s two Democratic Senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Terwilliger was nominated by the President and in September 2018 was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate as the 62nd United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

In a joint statement, Senators Warner and Kaine said: “We were pleased to recommend Mr. Terwilliger to fill the role of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. He has done critical work these past few years in the position, and we thank Mr. Terwilliger for his service to the Eastern District.”

Notably, Terwilliger supervised investigations into and secured charges or convictions in numerous internationally significant cases, including against two alleged ISIS militants charged with a hostage-taking scheme that led to multiple deaths of Americans in Syria; a Russian national charged with interfering in the U.S. political system; a former CIA officer convicted of espionage; MS-13 gang members charged in connection with multiple murders of juveniles; the extradition of a Senior Sinaloa Cartel leader to the U.S.; the trial conviction of a doctor who performed unnecessary and irreversible surgeries on women; a prolific firearms trafficker sentenced for illegally dealing over 200 guns; a former doctor sentenced for operating a pill mill that illegally distributed over 600,000 oxycodone pills; arrests of 35 defendants in Operation Cookout and recovery of enough fentanyl to potentially kill 14 million people; and corporate resolutions including an $850 million agreement with Petrobras, a $33 million agreement with Lumber Liquidators, a $46 million agreement with Hydro Extrusion Portland, Inc., a $137 million agreement with Walmart, and a $75 million agreement with Samsung Heavy Industries, among many others.

“On behalf of the women and men of ATF, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for his unwavering support of ATF’s mission – protecting the public from violence in our communities and enforcing federal firearms laws,” said Regina Lombardo, Deputy Director of ATF. “U.S. Attorney Terwilliger has been an active member of ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board; he understands the value of using technology and science to identify and prosecute criminals who use firearms to terrorize communities and kill innocent people. U.S. Attorney Terwilliger has been a driving force behind the Department of Justice’s Project Guardian initiative, promoting enhanced intelligence collection, information sharing, and coordinated responses necessary to address gun violence. As a United States Attorney, his work epitomizes true leadership and public service, and it was my honor to present him with the ATF Director’s Award this year. U.S. Attorney Terwilliger’s partnership with ATF’s Washington Field Division has been nothing short of extraordinary, and the Eastern District of Virginia is a safer place because of him. I sincerely wish him all the best in his next endeavor. He has my utmost respect.”

Under Terwilliger’s leadership, EDVA saw an increase in the number of criminal defendants charged in 2018 and 2019, going from 924 in 2017 to 1,029 in 2018, and to 1,091 in 2019.

“Our approach was to fish with a spear, not a net,” said Terwilliger. “Meaning it was not about mass arrests, but about strategically using federal resources to arrest those repeat and violent offenders that commit a disproportionate amount of violent crime and who have already had multiple opportunities at the state level.”

Leveraging EDVA’s strong partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement, during Terwilliger’s first full fiscal year after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate in September 2018, EDVA increased by over 18 percent the number of defendants charged with public safety and violent crime offenses, including cases involving the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), Project Guardian, Project Safe Neighborhoods, Project Safe Childhood, and/or other violent crimes.

“U.S. Terwilliger showed extraordinary commitment as a partner in the efforts to rid the City of Petersburg of dangerous criminals and change the lives of our citizens who lived in constant fear,” said Travis Christian, Chief of Petersburg Bureau of Police. “His efforts were not just conversations from an office. He helped put actual boots on the ground here in Petersburg. He traveled to the city, walked the streets and met with citizens, and ensured them that he was committed to providing the city with the necessary resources to restore peace and comfort back into our communities. As a result, U.S. Attorney Terwilliger helped remove from the streets some of Petersburg’s most dangerous criminals and prevented them from continuing to bring harm and danger to our city. His effort is representative of the team of true professionals at EDVA that have proven to be invaluable to the safety of the citizens of the City of Petersburg, Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United States of America.”

Under Terwilliger’s leadership, the civil litigation practice in EDVA has achieved significant and numerous successes, including a final Judgement and Permanent Injunction against former CIA employee Edward Snowden; the Justice Department’s largest ever settlement against a property management company for Alleged Violations of Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) settlement agreement with a durable medical equipment company which operates approximately 800 centers in 48 states; and the establishment of a new Civil Rights Enforcement Unit at EDVA, which is the first at a U.S. Attorney’s Office nationwide to have multiple Assistant U.S. Attorneys 100 percent dedicated to enforcing the rights of persons with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For Terwilliger, who overcame severe dyslexia to become a successful student, the establishment of a unit focused on disability rights was a goal from Day One.

Terwilliger invested heavily in filling the attorney ranks across EDVA with accomplished and seasoned lawyers from a diversity of educational and familial backgrounds and welcomed nearly 60 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and long-term Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in his approximately 32 months as U.S. Attorney. Terwilliger also showed a strong commitment to diversity across EDVA, building the most diverse supervisory team in EDVA history with unprecedented numbers of minorities and women serving in senior management.

“We are pleased to see Mr. Terwilliger’s commitment to pursuing diversity across the attorney ranks in EDVA, ensuring that the office reflects the communities they serve,” said Jane Reynolds, member of the Old Dominion Bar Association. “He has been a thoughtful and dedicated partner, and we are thankful for his continued support of ODBA. We wish Mr. Terwilliger and his family the very best.”

Upon Terwilliger’s departure, Raj Parekh, a career federal prosecutor and EDVA’s First Assistant U.S. Attorney, will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney. Parekh will become the first Indian-American and minority in the 232-year history of the Office to serve as EDVA’s U.S. Attorney (acting or otherwise).

“Lest there be any doubt, the accomplishments above are a credit to the amazing women and men of EDVA and our partner agencies,” said Terwilliger. “I am so humbled to have had the privilege to work alongside them.”

After a brief transition period and a few days off, Terwilliger will be joining Vinson & Elkins LLP as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office.

Terwilliger’s biography and high-resolution photo can be found here.

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

NORFOLK, Va. – Six Cuban nationals have been sentenced, including the leader of the crew, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, the six conspirators placed skimming devices on gas pumps located in Northampton County within the Eastern District of Virginia. The skimming devices were capable of recording the credit and debit card numbers, along with their PINs, of the customers that used their cards at the gas pumps. In April and May 2018, using the stolen card information, the defendants traveled between Harris Teeter store locations, among other destinations, to withdraw money from the victims’ bank accounts and purchase prepaid gift cards.

In addition, many of the conspirators had significant criminal histories involving the same conduct and were known to travel the country perpetrating this scheme. The leader of the crew, Yasmani Granja Quijada, was found to be trading over 9,800 additional stolen credit card numbers using his email account over the past few years. The crew was attributed with aggregate losses of over $5,000,000 over several years. The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service seized numerous vehicles and other items that were purchased by the defendants with funds stolen through credit cards, including a 2006 Triton 2895CC Boat and trailer, a 2017 Ford F250 Super Cab truck, a 2016 Cruise Radiance Travel Trailer RV, a 2017 Ford Escape SUV, a 2017 Maserati Ghibli, and a 2013 Porsche Panamera. Several other conspirators remain at large and are believed to be living in Mexico.

Below is a table that lists the name, age, hometown, respective charge(s) for which each defendant was convicted, and the sentence he received:

Name (Age)

Hometown

Charge(s)

Sentence (Date)

Yasmani Granja Quijada (33)

South Miami, FL

Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Aggravated ID Theft

120 months (01/04/2021)

Luis Miguel Fernandez Cardente (29)

Miami, FL

Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Aggravated ID Theft

64 months (12/14/2020)

Jorge Bello Fuentes (31)

Homestead, FL

Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Aggravated ID Theft

60 months (07/17/2020)

Guillermo Bello Fuentes (34)

Miami, FL

Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Aggravated ID Theft

47 months (08/28/2020)

Pedro Emilio Duran (40)

Miami, FL

Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud

30 months (07/31/2020)

Yariel Monsibaez Ruiz (29)

Hialeah, FL

Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud

19 months (08/28/2020)

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David L. Doughty, Jr., Northampton County Sheriff; and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-109.

NORFOLK, Va. – A man previously convicted of numerous violent felonies and who is a registered sex offender pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

According to court documents, Edward Jamaal Taylor, 38, of Suffolk, was arrested based on evidence that he had allegedly assaulted and kidnapped at gunpoint a witness in a federal drug-trafficking case. Police officers then searched Taylor’s car and recovered a handgun equipped with a laser sight and loaded with a large-capacity magazine, which matched the victim’s description of the firearm used in the abduction. The officers also recovered eight ounces of marijuana and a double-bladed knife from the car. After his arrest, Taylor admitted to owning the gun, possessing the drugs with intent to distribute them, and “possibly hitting” the victim while “recklessly waiving his gun around” during an argument, after which he “assisted” the victim to two different locations. 

Taylor has seven convictions for violent felonies, including two for robbery, two for possessing a firearm in connection with a felony offense, two for abduction, and one for rape.

Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2021. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Al Chandler, Interim Chief of Suffolk Police; and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and William D. Muhr 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. 2:20-cr-93.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three Virginia men have pleaded guilty to their respective roles in drug-related murder in 2018 in Fairfax.

Charles Anthony Forbes, 30, of Reston, pleaded guilty today to using a firearm to commit a drug-related murder. In March, Fredy Fabian Alfaro, 36, of Reston, and Jimmie Marcel McCray, 36, of Sterling, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the murder, and to conspiring to distribute marijuana.

According to court documents, from January through April of 2018, Alfaro had conspired with the victim, Michael Cooker, and others to ship marijuana from California and sell it in Northern Virginia. In April 2018, Alfaro and Cooker had a dispute over the conspiracy’s profits. On the night of April 17, 2018, Alfaro and Cooker continued their dispute through a series of electronic phone messages. In the early morning of April 18, 2018, Alfaro called McCray and offered him compensation to physically harm Cooker. Alfaro’s motive was his dispute with Cooker over the drug conspiracy. McCray then contacted Forbes and told him that Alfaro had offered remuneration to physically harm Cooker.

Around this same time, Cooker, McCray, Forbes, and another individual had been spending time together in Herndon. Around 6 a.m. on April 18, 2019, Cooker, McCray, Forbes, and the other individual drove in two separate vehicles to Chantilly. There, McCray provided Forbes with a Smith & Wesson revolver. Forbes and Cooker then left the area in one of the vehicles. Forbes drove Cooker to a wooded road in Fairfax Station. Around 6:30 a.m., Forbes pulled over to the side of the road and shot Cooker twice in the head, killing him. Forbes drove away, leaving Cooker’s body there.

On November 6, Alfaro was sentenced to a total of 21 years in prison, and McCray was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Forbes faces a maximum term of life in prison when he is sentenced on April 9, 2021.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary, Marc J. Birnbaum, and Rachael C. Tucker are prosecuting the case.

This case was investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department, in partnership with the FBI, Washington Field Office’s Northern Virginia Violent Crime Task Force. The task force, consisting of FBI Agents and Task Force Officers from Northern Virginia law enforcement departments, work to investigate, identify and seek prosecution against the most violent and egregious offenders in the 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. 1:19-cr-260.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Montross man was sentenced today to two years in prison for illegally reentering the U.S. following removal due to an aggravated felony conviction of carnal knowledge of a child.

According to court documents, Jose Francisco Zepeda-Reyes, 31, lawfully entered the U.S. as the child of a lawful permanent resident. In 2011, at 20 years of age, Zepeda-Reyes was convicted in Essex County of carnal knowledge of a child between 13 and 15 years of age. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with four years and three months suspended, and deported after completing his active sentence. On an unknown date thereafter, Zepeda-Reyes illegally reentered the country and began residing in Montross.

In 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received information that Zepeda-Reyes had illegally returned to the U.S., which led to his arrest. After being prosecuted by authorities in Westmoreland County for failing to register as a sex offender, he was turned over to federal authorities for prosecution relating to the instant illegal reentry offense.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Shawn Byers, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hood 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. 3:19-cr-142.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 12 1/2 years in prison for distributing crack cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his distribution of heroin.

According to court documents, Baron Thomas, 35, a member of the Rollin’ 20s gang, was engaged in the distribution of cocaine, cocaine base, heroin and marijuana in Hampton and elsewhere on the Virginia Peninsula. While Thomas was dealing these narcotics, he was frequently in possession of firearms. Thomas and his co-defendant, Julian Rashko, would also distribute heroin and other narcotics from Thomas’ residence in Hampton.

The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Brim Reaper. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.  The principle 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, 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 Roderick C. Young.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt 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. 4:19-cr-80.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Clifton man was sentenced today to 28 months in prison for brokering a drug deal that resulted in a fatal overdose on fentanyl, a dangerous and potent synthetic opioid.

According to court documents, Tyler Lee Huston, 28, was a distributor of heroin and fentanyl, and had at least six customers in Northern Virginia. He bought drugs, both for redistribution and for personal use, from Peter Romm, a drug dealer in Reston. Huston profited by redistributing drugs from Romm at a markup. Huston also received free heroin or fentanyl from Romm for introducing customers to Romm and brokering drug transactions.

One such customer was N.G. On the night of Oct. 7, 2019, N.G. picked up Huston and drove to Romm’s residence, where Huston bought fentanyl from Romm to give to N.G. and to use himself.  Later that night, N.G. consumed the fentanyl and fatally overdosed. The cause of N.G.’s death was ruled to be acute fentanyl poisoning.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karolina Klyuchnikova 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. 1:20-cr-95.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, from about May 2019 through about Nov. 4, 2019, Dat Nguyen, 35, conspired to distribute peach tablets advertised as Adderall, but in fact containing methamphetamine, nationwide through the U.S. mail. Nguyen used the moniker “addy4cheap” on darknet markets, the Empire Market and Cryptonia. Between August 2019 and December 2019, law enforcement agents conducted 20 controlled purchases from “addy4cheap” on both markets for a total of 767 peach tablets received weighing approximately 268 grams total.

On Dec. 9, 2019, search warrants were executed at co-conspirators’ residences including the home of Lien Kim Thi Phan and Tyler Pham and the home of Hon Lam Luk. In the home of Phan and Pham, agents found 95 peach tablets, and in Luk’s residence, investigators found over 6,000 peach tablets weighing approximately 2.2 kilograms, all of which resembled those advertised on “addy4cheap” and those received by law enforcement through controlled purchases.

As of Dec. 10, 2019, “addy4cheap” had completed 3,665 sales on the Empire Market and received 2,568 reviews. Based on these reviews, “addy4cheap” had received approximately $482,572.10 in sales for an approximate 44,872 pills sold. As of Nov. 7, 2019, “addy4cheap” had fulfilled 140 transactions on Cryptonia. 

Nguyen’s five co-conspirators all previously entered guilty pleas in connection with the conspiracy. One co-conspirator remains a fugitive. 

Nguyen is scheduled to be sentenced on March 23, 2021. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bibeane Metsch and Jay V. Prabhu are prosecuting 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 Dark Web marketplaces, 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. 1:20-cr-265, and related cases 1:20-cr-24, 1:20-cr-29, 1:20-cr-32, 1:20-cr-155, 1:20-cr- 266and 1:19-mj-548.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A citizen of El Salvador was sentenced today to 21 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release for illegal reentry into the U.S. after removal subsequent to a conviction for an aggravated felony.

According to court documents, Giovanni Omar Medrano-Urrutia, 41, reentered the U.S. after having been removed on four prior occasions between 2005 and 2018. Medrano-Urrutia’s criminal history spans two decades in the U.S. Notably, in January 2000, he was convicted of the aggravated felony of carnal knowledge of a child in Fairfax County. Additionally, on Jan. 28, 2008, and Jan. 12, 2018, respectively, Medrano-Urrutia was convicted of illegal reentry.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Shawn Byers, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viviana Vasiu 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. 1:20-cr-179 and Case No. 1:17-cr-206.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Washington, D.C. government employee with a prior murder conviction was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for distributing fentanyl and illegally possessing multiple firearms.

According to court documents, while employed in the Permitting Department of the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) in Southwest D.C., Darrell Marcellus Pope, 51, of Clinton, Maryland, regularly sold fentanyl to customers in front of his office building.  The DCRA is located within 1,000 feet of Amiden Bowen Elementary School. Over the course of the investigation, Pope sold a total of 87 grams of fentanyl—more than 43,000 potentially lethal doses—to an undercover law enforcement officer and a confidential source.

Pope had a broad network of customers, including several who lived in the Eastern District of Virginia. One of Pope’s customers, identified in court documents as A.D., regularly traveled from Woodbridge to buy heroin and fentanyl from Pope. On March 14, 2019, Pope sold drugs to A.D., who brought them back to Woodbridge. The drugs that Pope sold to A.D. ultimately contributed to the fatal overdose of a Lake Ridge woman.

When Pope was arrested in September 2019, law enforcement executed search warrants at his home and office. In his residence, agents seized three firearms, which Pope is prohibited from possessing because of his prior felony conviction. Also when he was arrested, law enforcement identified Pope’s fentanyl supplier, Ronald Gorham, whom Pope met when both Pope and Gorham were both serving prison sentences for unrelated murder convictions.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Jarad L. Phelps, Acting Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh 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. 1:19-cr-355.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Keswick man was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for his role in producing images of child sexual abuse and attempting to meet a minor for sex.

According to court documents, in 2019, Bryan Wesley Petitt, 33, engaged in sexually explicit communications with an undercover agent he believed to be a 14-year-old minor. Petitt drove from Charlottesville to military housing in Norfolk in order to engage in sex with the girl. Upon his arrest, law enforcement officers discovered images of child sexual abuse on his phone. Investigators later learned that Petitt produced one of the images.

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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Gregory Scovel, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.

Special 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. 2:20-cr-16.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man pleaded guilty today to possessing a firearm while an unlawful user of controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes.

According to court documents, Antonio Lamon Jefferson, Jr., 25, is a member of the Suffolk-based street gang YNGI. YNGI members have been involved in a string of recent shootings. Jefferson has been arrested three times since April 2019 for possessing more than five pounds of marijuana, a rifle, multiple handguns, and about $35,000 in cash. Jefferson has been arrested twice at residences he used as drug premises—storing, packaging, and selling marijuana, hoarding drug proceeds, and arming himself at those locations to protect his drug trade. At one residence, he was armed with a handgun that had been reported stolen.

Jefferson is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2021. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of a renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Al Chandler, Interim Chief of Suffolk Police; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-65.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A former Hampton police detective was sentenced today to six years in prison for conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.

According to court documents, Deangelo Freeman, 32, conspired with local drug dealers while he was a detective in the Special Investigations Unit of the Hampton Police Division. Specifically, Freeman was associated with a number of individuals who were selling large quantities of cocaine. These individuals included Alex Burnett who owned 9Rounds Gym in Hampton Town Center. Freeman admitted to providing information to Burnett about an ongoing federal criminal investigation. Freeman learned of this information while serving as a narcotics detective and participating in the investigation of Burnett. The information provided by Freeman included the identity of a confidential informant. Freeman provided the information to compromise the investigation and to help Burnett’s drug distribution activities.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt 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. 4:17-cr-111.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Federal law enforcement leaders in the Commonwealth of Virginia today announced the launch of www.storiesoverstigma.com to fight back against the silent health epidemic of substance use disorder.

“Our hope is that through this website we will empower Virginians to share their buried stories of substance use disorder,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Unfortunately, the stigma that historically accompanies this disease often silences family and friends of the deceased. Those who succumb to substance use disorder are our loved ones: our parents, our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, and friends. They deserve to have their stories told, free from shame and without stigma.”

Virginia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reports that fatal drug overdose has been the leading method of unnatural death in Virginia since 2013.

“We must work together to do all we can to stem the flow of opioids in our communities and the addiction and death they can cause,” said Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. “This website is a major step toward encouraging individuals across Virginia to join together and tell their stories as we seek to remove the stigma of substance use disorder.  I thank our colleagues in the Eastern District for inviting our participation in making sure these important stories are told.”

The website will allow those who have a family member whose life has been tragically cut short by substance use disorder, to share their story through the power of social media. Five families who lost their loved ones to substance use disorders have provided details about what happened in the hopes of turning those tragedies into life-saving conversations and lessons for others. The platform, in turn, allows others across Virginia to add to the story and let others know they are not alone in this ongoing fight to save lives.

The U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, together with the DEA and other law enforcement partners, is continuing to work with countless families and advocates to raise awareness and change the false narrative that substance use disorder is a choice. Through this joint effort, the federal partners and others behind this effort are hoping to change the conversation.

Towards that goal, #StoriesOverStigma is a social activation that allows people in recovery and family members who have lost a loved one to share their stories and change the conversation. The website is aimed at educating others about the dangers of substance use disorders, to start lifesaving conversations with our youths and loved ones, and emphasizes that there is hope for those who need help.

Visit www.storiesoverstigma.com to join the conversation and submit your story.

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Federal law enforcement leaders in the Commonwealth of Virginia today announced the launch of www.storiesoverstigma.com to fight back against the silent health epidemic of substance use disorder.

“Our hope is that through this website we will empower Virginians to share their buried stories of substance use disorder,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Unfortunately, the stigma that historically accompanies this disease often silences family and friends of the deceased. Those who succumb to substance use disorder are our loved ones: our parents, our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, and friends. They deserve to have their stories told, free from shame and without stigma.”

Virginia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reports that fatal drug overdose has been the leading method of unnatural death in Virginia since 2013.

“We must work together to do all we can to stem the flow of opioids in our communities and the addiction and death they can cause,” said Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. “This website is a major step toward encouraging individuals across Virginia to join together and tell their stories as we seek to remove the stigma of substance use disorder.  I thank our colleagues in the Eastern District for inviting our participation in making sure these important stories are told.”

The website will allow those who have a family member whose life has been tragically cut short by substance use disorder, to share their story through the power of social media. Five families who lost their loved ones to substance use disorders have provided details about what happened in the hopes of turning those tragedies into life-saving conversations and lessons for others. The platform, in turn, allows others across Virginia to add to the story and let others know they are not alone in this ongoing fight to save lives.

The U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, together with the DEA and other law enforcement partners, is continuing to work with countless families and advocates to raise awareness and change the false narrative that substance use disorder is a choice. Through this joint effort, the federal partners and others behind this effort are hoping to change the conversation.

Towards that goal, #StoriesOverStigma is a social activation that allows people in recovery and family members who have lost a loved one to share their stories and change the conversation. The website is aimed at educating others about the dangers of substance use disorders, to start lifesaving conversations with our youths and loved ones, and emphasizes that there is hope for those who need help.

Visit www.storiesoverstigma.com to join the conversation and submit your story.

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

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A transient man who formerly resided in various hotels across Virginia was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for defrauding a financial institution and possessing counterfeit business checks. 

According to court documents, Michael Culpeper, 44, defrauded financial institutions and other businesses by creating and using counterfeit checks to obtain U.S. currency and buy goods and services. Culpeper has an extensive criminal history, encompassing numerous prior felony convictions, most of which involve similar conduct.

In January 2015, Culpeper rented a hotel room owned and operated by a Roanoke business. At the end of the rental period, the hotel refunded his security deposit with a check drawn on its business account. Culpeper subsequently used the names, addresses, and bank information from this refund check to create counterfeit and fraudulent checks. Between November 2015 and January 2017, Culpeper negotiated these counterfeit checks at least 16 times. At the time of his arrest, he had 141 more counterfeit checks.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard J. Zlotnick and 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. 4:17-cr-44.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A New York man who formerly resided in Newport News was sentenced today to three years in prison for a mail fraud and identity theft scheme.

According to court documents, Christopher A. Phillips, 25, stole mail from unwitting victims and used personal information from that mail to open new bank accounts and lines of credit in their name. He next used mail-tracking services and techniques such as following mail routes to ensure he retrieved the new means of account access before the victims. Phillips then repeatedly purchased goods and services using the accounts he had opened in the victims’ names, resulting in a total loss of approximately $35,000.

As a result of Phillips’ scheme, investigators identified at least 12 victims of identity theft across Isle of Wight, Southampton, and Sussex Counties. At the time of his arrest, investigators recovered significant quantities of stolen mail and electronic devices with more suspected victims. 

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; James R. Clarke, Jr., Sheriff, Isle of Wight County; Josh Wyche Sr., Sheriff, Southampton County; and Earnest L. Giles, Sheriff, Sussex County, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

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. 4:20-cr-30.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria woman pleaded guilty today to money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud members of a Christian organization.

According to court documents, Brenda Millender, 60, was the wife of Pastor Terry Millender and the First Lady of Victorious Life Church in Alexandria. Terry Millender created a company called Kingdom Commodities Unlimited (KCU), which marketed itself as a Christian organization that was looking for investors to provide financing to help facilitate and broker Nigerian oil sales. Individual investors provided money to Terry Millender from 2013 to 2016 based on his false and fraudulent representations about how their money would be used, as well as material omissions about how funds would be disbursed.

Millender had access to various KCU bank accounts and she received cash from those accounts which had the effect of concealing the source and use of those funds. In some cases, checks written from KCU accounts had false and misleading descriptions on the memo lines, such as referencing the repayment of loans or office expenses, when in fact the person receiving the check had not loaned any money to KCU, was not an investor to KCU, and was not involved in KCU's operations.

Millender is scheduled to be sentenced on April 21, 2021. She 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamar K. Walker and Kimberly R. Pedersen are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-239.

RICHMOND, Va. – A previously convicted felon was sentenced today to 54 months in prison and 2 years supervised release for his possession of an assault rifle, handgun, ballistic vest, and eight magazines of ammunition after leaving the Robert E. Lee Monument during civil unrest here on June 12.

According to court documents, Matthew Lee Frezza, 37, of Chesterfield, possessed an assault rifle and handgun during the course of a traffic stop during civil unrest. The incident started when Richmond Police Department (RPD) officers observed a caravan of three trucks driving recklessly in the vicinity of the Robert E. Lee Monument. Based on this reckless driving, RPD officers executed a traffic stop on one of the pickup trucks at the intersection of Old Mill Road and Boatwright Road in the city of Richmond. Upon approaching the truck, RPD officers observed three occupants inside, with an individual later identified as Frezza in the front passenger seat of the truck. RPD officers further observed all three occupants of the truck armed with firearms, including assault rifles.

Based on the firearms and the vehicles prior presence at the Robert E. Lee Monument, RPD Officers requested the three occupants step out of the truck. As Frezza exited the truck, RPD officers took an assault rifle from his possession, removed a handgun and two clips from a holster on his thigh, and removed a ballistic vest from his body that contained six rifle magazines with ammunition. On the scene, RPD Officers determined that Frezza was a convicted felon and placed him under arrest. The firearm possessed by Frezza was a Taurus, Model G3, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol. The assault rifle possessed by Frezza was later determined to be a homemade rifle without a serial number, which contained a loaded, high-capacity magazine.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; William C. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police; and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric S. Siebert 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. 3:20-cr-78.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Prince William County man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for selling fentanyl.

According to court documents, between February 2019 and May 2019, Keith Issiah Slade, 46, and a co-defendant, sold fentanyl in and around the Eastern District of Virginia. They would obtain the fentanyl in Baltimore, Maryland and traffic it into Virginia. One of their customers was Individual 1, to whom they sold at least 55 capsules containing heroin/fentanyl. In May 2019, Individual 1 consumed fentanyl provided to her by Slade and the co-defendant. She was later found deceased, and the cause of death was ruled to be mixed drug intoxication. Individual 1 had numerous substances in her system, including fentanyl.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karolina Klyuchnikova and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bibeane Metsch 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. 1:20-cr-224.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Norfolk man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a scheme to purchase alcohol for resale from Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) stores with stolen debit and credit card numbers.

According to court documents, Tyrell Jackson, 44, joined together with three other men to defraud Virginia ABC stores by using debit and credit cards re-encoded with the stolen financial information of identity theft victims. Investigators have identified 20 direct victims of identity theft from Jackson’s role in the conspiracy, and at least 82 victims of the broader conspiracy.

Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24, 2021. The conspiracy to commit wire fraud offense carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and the aggravated identity theft offense carries a mandatory two 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; and Tom Kirby, Chief of Virginia ABC’s Bureau of Law Enforcement made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Coleman 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. 4:20-cr-45.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today to bank fraud by submitting a fraudulent application for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, and then using the loan proceeds for his own personal benefit, including making large cash withdrawals and travel to Las Vegas.

According to court documents, Scott Suber, 39, submitted to Celtic Bank a fraudulent application for a loan under the PPP, a program instituted by Congress in an effort to help businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to pay salary or wages to their employees. In the application, it was falsely represented that Suber’s business, Debris or Not Debris Property Preservation, Inc., had eight employees and an average monthly payroll of $140,000. In support of the fraudulent application, a false Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return was submitted, claiming that the business had quarterly wages of $420,000 and federal tax withholding of $36,620. These figures were completely false and fabricated. In addition, Suber submitted a bank statement with an altered date in support of the application.

Celtic Bank approved and funded a PPP loan for the business in the amount of $350,000 and transferred the funds to an account Suber maintained in the name of Debris or Not Debris Property Preservation, Inc. at Wells Fargo Bank. In the loan application, it was stated that Debris or Not Debris Property Preservation, Inc. would use the loan proceeds for business related purposes, such as the costs of payroll, lease, and utilities. Instead, Suber used the proceeds for his own personal benefit, including making large cash withdrawals and travel to Las Vegas, and making non-business related payments to a number of individuals.

Suber is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2021. 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General of the Small Business Administration (SBA); and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan M. Salsbury is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-110.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A previously convicted felon was sentenced today to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release after he appeared in a video posted to YouTube while in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Najee Lewis, 23, of Stafford, unlawfully possessed a stolen 9mm Ruger pistol while appearing in a music video. At the time, Lewis knew he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing the firearm.

Lewis previously was convicted in Prince William Circuit Court of two separate felony robbery offenses that had occurred two days apart. He was subsequently sentenced at the same time for both offenses. In May 2018, Lewis was released from incarceration for these robbery convictions and began a 10-year term of supervised probation. Less than four months after his release from incarceration, while still on supervision in Virginia, the video showing Lewis with a firearm was posted to YouTube. In April 2018, the firearm was reported stolen, and it was later recovered in October 2019.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ashan M. Benedict, 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.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Levesque 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. 1:20-cr-128.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton-based business owner and four employees have all pleaded guilty to engaging in an extensive procurement fraud scheme involving millions of dollars in government contracts targeting the Department of Defense and other federal government agencies.

According to court documents, from 2011 to 2018, Iris Kim, Inc., (aka I-Tek) owner Beyung S. Kim, 61, of Newport News, and employees Seung Kim, 30, of Newport News, Dongjin Park, 53, of Yorktown, Chang You, 61, of Yorktown, Pyongkon Pak, 53, of Toano, and Li-Ling Tu, 57, of China, engaged in a conspiracy and scheme related to certain government contracts for which I-Tek acted as a supplier of goods, including items for the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Guards of various states, among other agencies.

These government contracts had certain set-aside preferences and source of good requirements. The conspirators acted to defraud the U.S. and commit other substantive offenses by fraudulently importing goods into the U.S. that were made in China, in violation of the terms of these contracts. They then falsely relabeled these goods as if they were made in the U.S. Kim and his employees also acted through a separate nominee company to conceal the importing of goods from China and installed a nominee officer of I-Tek in order to be able to fraudulently qualify for certain set-aside contracts. The conspirators also submitted false documents and further falsely classified the value of the goods imported into the U.S. so as to avoid higher duties and taxes.

The five conspirators are scheduled to be sentenced mid-March. Each defendant faces a maximum term of five to seven 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations; Chris Dillard, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Gregory Scovel, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the pleas.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and D. Mack Coleman, and Trial Attorney Matthew P. Mattis of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

The Defense Contract Audit Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Regulatory Audit and Agency Advisory Services, Office of Trade, and the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General all provided significant assistance to 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. 4:20-cr-47.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to over 18 years in prison for conspiring to traffic wholesale amounts of cocaine in and around Hampton Roads and to possessing several guns to protect his drug trade.

According to court documents, Daryl Keith Sills, 57, completed a nine-year federal sentence for conspiring to distribute multiple kilograms of cocaine. Two years later, he started up his drug trafficking operation again, distributing at least one kilogram of powder cocaine a month until his October 2019 arrest on the charges in this case.

During the investigation, DEA agents conducted three controlled buys from Sills, totaling 140 grams of cocaine. Informants observed Sills receive and store in his residence more than 10 kilograms of cocaine. At Sills’ arrest, law enforcement searched his Norfolk and Virginia Beach drug premises, recovering a total of nine firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, 713 grams of cocaine, and 74 grams of marijuana. Sills admitted to his years-long conspiracy and attributed 20 kilograms of historical cocaine weight to himself.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. Click here for more information about Project Guardian.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson 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. 2:20-cr-2.

The former chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Trustify, Inc. (Trustify), a privately-held technology company founded in 2015 and based in Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a fraud scheme resulting in millions of dollars of losses to investors.    

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.

Daniel Boice, 41, of Alexandria, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud before Senior United States District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia.  Sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2021.      

According to admissions made in connection with the plea agreement, beginning in 2015,  Boice fraudulently solicited investments in Trustify, a privately held technology start-up company that connected customers with private investigators.  Boice raised approximately $18.5 million from over 90 investors by, among other things, falsely overstating Trustify’s financial performance.  Despite representing to investors that their funds would go towards operating and growing Trustify’s business, Boice diverted at least $3.7 million for his own benefit and to fund his lifestyle.  This included the purchase of a home in Alexandria, Virginia, travel by private jet, and furnishing a seaside vacation home.           

The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case.  Trial Attorney Blake Goebel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Carlberg of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. 

Individuals who believe they may be a victim in this case should contact the Victim Witness Services Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at 703-299-3700 for more information.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Maryland man with the kidnapping and carjacking of a woman in Henrico County in September 2019.

According to allegations in the indictment, on Sept. 18, 2019, Devon Allen Odell Scott, 38, of Edgewood, abducted a woman for the purpose of committing a sexual assault on and robbery of that same victim, and after traveling from Maryland to Virginia in furtherance of that offense. In the course of the kidnapping, Scott forcibly carjacked the victim’s vehicle with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm to that victim.

Scott is charged with carjacking and kidnapping. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Garnett 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. 

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

RICHMOND, Va. – An El Salvadorian national previously convicted of sexual battery, extortion, and larceny charges pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States.

According to court documents, Francisco Edgardo Palacios-Arias, 24, first illegally entered the U.S. sometime before February 2015. Thereafter, between June 2015 and July 2017, Palacios-Arias was convicted of a series of offenses in Chesterfield County, to include a sexual battery conviction in June 2015; a conviction for extortion of a school employee in December 2016; and convictions for two counts of larceny, false identification of self to law enforcement, and possession of marijuana in July 2017.

Officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Palacios-Arias following this third set of convictions, and he was deported in March 2018. Palacios-Arias later illegally reentered the U.S., and returned to Chesterfield County. ICE officers arrested Palacios-Arias in Chesterfield in March.

Palacios-Arias is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2021. He faces a maximum penalty of two 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Shawn Byers, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-62.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Georgia man made his initial appearance in federal court here today on charges of distributing illicit prescription drugs over the Darknet.

According to court documents, Cullen Roberts, 22, of Duluth, used the moniker “Pillpusher” to sell prescription opioids and other scheduled narcotics on a Darknet market called Yellow Brick. The FBI began investigating Roberts by conducting a series of undercover purchases of various types of prescription drugs via the Darknet.

Roberts was identified as “Pillpusher” when he was observed dropping off one of the packages addressed to the undercover agent at the U.S. Post Office in Cumming, Georgia. Agents subsequently intercepted a package sent by Roberts and discovered dozens of tablets of Tramadol. Agents also searched Roberts’s trash and recovered empty boxes that had contained oxycodone and alprazolam (brand name Xanax).

Roberts also has pending charges in Forsyth County, Georgia for making terroristic threats.

Roberts was arrested yesterday and is charged with distribution of controlled substances. If convicted, he 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service Atlanta, and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office provided significant assistance with this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh 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. 1:20-mj-332.

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Fairfax doctor was sentenced today to seven years in prison for leading and organizing an extensive and illegal prescription distribution conspiracy and a related health care fraud scheme.

According to court documents, Dr. Felicia Lyn Donald, 65, of Great Falls, organized, led, and operated a prescription “pill mill” from at least April 2016 through April 2020. Donald practiced medicine at For Women OB/GYN Associates and NOVA Addiction Center. Donald distributed over 1.2 million milligrams (mg) of Schedule II opioids at or above the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline for dosages that a practitioner should avoid, with a total street value of over $1.2 million, and illegally distributed at least 325,190 mg of oxycodone and other Schedule II controlled substances. Donald also committed health care fraud on numerous occasions in furtherance of her scheme.

“Donald flagrantly betrayed the public’s trust in the medical profession by unlawfully distributing highly addictive and potentially lethal drugs to patients and other individuals,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The Eastern District of Virginia will continue to prosecute doctors who abandon their medical oath and hold them accountable for choosing profits over patients’ lives.”

Donald admitted that she prescribed opioids to addicts and/or drug dealers who had traveled from out-of-state or long distances to her practice; individuals that informed Donald of their pending drug charges; individuals who Donald knew had failed urine toxicology screens; individuals who Donald knew were selling the pills that she prescribed to them; individuals who received from Donald opioids and alprazolam, which Donald admitted is a dangerous combination of drugs that could have killed or caused serious bodily injury to the ultimate users; paying certain employees, in part, with opioid prescriptions rather than through pay checks; and giving blank prescriptions to certain members of her medical office staff and other co-conspirators for their personal use.

Donald attempted to conceal her patterns of illegal prescribing by falsifying medical records to make it appear as though individuals who were never her patients received examinations and medical care, when in fact they had not, and engaging in Medicaid fraud. Donald fraudulently issued prescriptions to others in the names of at least nine unwitting individuals, none of whom were her patients. Donald also issued prescriptions for high doses of oxycodone to multiple women who were pregnant.

Following her guilty plea on May 4, the Court revoked Donald’s pretrial release on August 7 after the government learned and produced evidence indicating that Donald violated numerous conditions of her release pending sentencing, including: 1) Donald admitted that she “made it up” when informing the FBI and jail officials during her arrest that she was exposed to COVID-19; 2) Donald continued to practice medicine for profit; 3) Donald repeatedly communicated with co-conspirators following her guilty plea; 4) Donald made a false certification under penalty of perjury on May 16 to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain a loan in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, including failing to inform the SBA about her guilty plea; and 5) Donald fraudulently used SBA loan and/or Cares Act Paycheck Protection Program COVID-19 loans to fund her personal-related expenses, including thousands of dollars in legal fees related to this case.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monika Moore 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. 1:20-cr-100.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of a $1.7 million investment scheme.

According to court documents, Mark H. Loewen, 58, of Atlanta, was the President of World Wide Carbon, LLC (WWC), a business based in Atlanta that purported to sell investments related to carbon offset credits for profit. Loewen and his co-conspirators misled investors regarding WWC’s use of investor funds, return on investment, and risks of the carbon offset credit investment. In total, seven victims, including some in the Eastern District of Virginia and some who were elderly, invested $1,749,990 in WWC investments.

Loewen is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6, 2021. He 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.

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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-30.

RICHMOND, Va. – An illegal alien who has been deported from the U.S. at taxpayer expense on four occasions, pleaded guilty yesterday to once again illegally entering the United States.

According to court documents, Oscar O. Cabrera, 47, an El Salvadoran citizen, has illegally entered the U.S. at least five times. On each occasion, Cabrera has only come to the attention of law enforcement after committing further crimes while in the U.S. illegally. Cabrera was most recently deported in January 2017, after a felony conviction for illegally possessing a firearm. Cabrera also has seven misdemeanor convictions for various crimes, including discharging a firearm in a public place, and driving under the influence.

On February 13, Cabrera was arrested in Hanover County on charges that included identity theft and conspiracy to commit larceny. On November 9, he pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges. Thereafter, he was turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to face federal criminal immigration charges.

Cabrera is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11, 2021. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Shawn Byers, Acting Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Maguire is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-128.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Triangle man was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for distributing heroin to a woman who fatally overdosed four days after she got out of substance abuse treatment.

According to court documents, Jeremy Bruce Jones, 31, was a prolific heroin and fentanyl dealer in Prince William County who for years sold dangerous narcotics to addicted persons in his community.

On March 15, 2019, law enforcement responded to Brianna Beatty’s residence and found her deceased. Detectives recovered heroin from the scene. A search of Beatty’s phone revealed that the day before, Beatty had met up with Jones and obtained drugs from him. 

The investigation revealed that Beatty first bought heroin from Jones in January 2019 and was hospitalized after non-fatally overdosing. At the time, she was on probation, and she was sent to an in-patient substance abuse clinic in California for 30 days. She returned to Virginia on March 10, 2019. Four days later, Beatty bought heroine from Jones that contributed to her fatal overdose.

After law enforcement identified Jones, the ensuing investigation identified a network of heroin/fentanyl dealers extending from Woodbridge to the District of Columbia and Maryland. One such dealer was Darrell Pope, a former employee of the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Pope has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Jarad L. Phelps, Acting Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh 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. 1:20-cr-30.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico woman pleaded guilty today to aiming a laser pointer at a police aircraft while at the Robert E. Lee Monument during a period of civil unrest.

According to court documents, on June 4, Amanda Robinson, 33, traveled to the Robert E. Lee Monument traffic circle located in Richmond. While at the traffic circle, Robinson pointed her laser pointer at a 2006 Cessna aircraft flying above her location operated by police officers of the Metropolitan Aviation Unit. The Metropolitan Aviation Unit officers were conducting aerial surveillance patrols during a period of civil unrest. In aiming the laser pointer, Robinson struck the aircraft on at least two separate occasions and disrupted the pilot’s vision. Using an onboard camera, the police officers identified Robinson as the individual aiming the laser pointer and directed police units to her location. Upon arriving to the Robert E. Lee Monument traffic circle, police patrol units detained Robinson and recovered a green laser pointer from her possession. 

The Metropolitan Aviation Unit is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement aviation unit made up of the Henrico County Police Department, the Richmond Police Department, and the Chesterfield County Police Department that conducts aerial operations in the Central Virginia area.

Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced on March 23, 2021. She 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jamie Mazzone, Mid-Atlantic Region Special Agent-In-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-120.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two Mississippi women pleaded guilty today to their involvement in distributing wholesale quantities of synthetic cannabinoids—commonly known as “spice” or “K2”—and laundering millions of dollars in proceeds of the sale of that spice.

According to court documents, from 2017 through November 2019, sisters Kimberly Drumm, 51, Bonnie Turner, 49, of Olive Branch, and their co-defendant, Joseph Ruis, 55, of Los Angeles, were the leaders of a southern-California based wholesale spice manufacturing and distribution operation. The illicit business held itself out as Aroma Superstore, and maintained a professional-looking website through which buyers around the country, including in the Eastern District of Virginia, could order packages of different varieties and flavors of spice. Drumm, Turner, and Ruis concealed the proceeds of their spice distribution by moving their profits through a network of shell corporations.

The spice that Aroma Superstore sold almost uniformly contained chemicals listed as Schedule I controlled substances. The spice was sold in packages bearing the label “Not For Human Consumption” in an attempt to avoid regulatory or law enforcement scrutiny. The products were, in reality, intended to be consumed and induce a “high” similar to other controlled substances. The spice connected to this conspiracy caused an individual from New Hampshire, referred to in court documents as J.S., to fatally overdose.

Drumm’s primary role in the conspiracy was to manage the finances of the operation. She prepared the payroll for the employees, picked up payments from customers, and deposited them into bank accounts used in the conspiracy. For a time, she ordered the chemicals used in the spice. Drumm also rented a storage locker where the chemicals were stored.

Turner had two roles in the conspiracy. First, she opened bank accounts in her name for the various business entities involved in the conspiracy. Second, Turner worked in the spice warehouse. At the warehouse, Turner and her co-conspirators stored thousands of packages of spice, organized by their different flavors and scents, and bearing a wide variety of different images and logos on the labels as well as stickers signifying the weight of each package.

In May 2019, law enforcement searched locations used by Ruis, Drumm, and Turner for their business. In one warehouse location, agents seized approximately 30 kilograms of spice as well as a large volume of packaging material and equipment used in the distribution of the spice. At another warehouse location, law enforcement seized approximately 4,500 pounds of marijuana, approximately 300 kilograms of butane honey oil, lab equipment for the extraction of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and approximately $45,000. Law enforcement also searched the storage locker that Drumm had rented, and recovered approximately one kilogram of 5F-MDMB-PICA, a Schedule I chemical used to manufacture the spice.

Drumm and Turner each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of distribution of Schedule I controlled substances. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 17, 2021. They face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Robert P. Mosier, Fauquier County Sheriff, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Bibeane Metsch 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. 1:20-cr-76.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for distributing a controlled substance containing heroin and fentanyl.

According to court documents, Tavarus Jermaine Williams, 40, was arrested on March 19 as part of a law enforcement focus on high violent crime areas of Richmond. In December 2019, law enforcement conducted two controlled purchases of narcotics from Williams. Lab testing confirmed that the substance purchased from Williams on both occasions was heroin mixed with fentanyl. During a search warrant executed on Williams’ residence, officers recovered a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine and 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

In the days following his arrest, Williams used another inmate’s PIN to place phone calls to his girlfriend. In these calls, Williams solicited his girlfriend to find information for the person he believed tipped off law enforcement to his drug activity, and concluded that someone needed to pay this person a visit. ATF agents promptly conducted an investigation to follow up on these phone calls.

At sentencing, Williams received enhancements under the sentencing guidelines for possessing a dangerous weapon for the firearm recovered during the search warrant and obstruction of justice for the phone calls.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; and William C. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Janet Jin Ah Lee prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-57.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland Darknet vendor and a Nebraska pharmacist were sentenced today to a combined over 23 years in prison for their respective roles in a conspiracy to use explosives to firebomb and destroy a competitor pharmacy.

According to court documents, William Anderson Burgamy IV, 33, of Hanover, Maryland, told co-conspirator, Hyrum T. Wilson, 41, of Auburn, Nebraska, that he would never surrender to law enforcement, that if anyone showed up during the attack, he would “blast [his] [expletive] way out,” and that he would shoot bullets at anyone who attempted to confront or apprehend him, including the owner of the victim pharmacy. Prior to Burgamy’s arrest in April 2020, which uncovered and thwarted the firebombing plot, Burgamy and Wilson fully intended on the attack occurring after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

From August 2019 through April 2020, Wilson illegally mailed over 19,000 dosage units of prescription medications, including opioids, from his pharmacy in Nebraska to Burgamy’s residence in Maryland. Burgamy illegally sold prescription drugs through his Darknet vendor account to customers nationwide, including here in the Eastern District of Virginia, and claimed at one point that he made nearly $1 million total. Burgamy and Wilson laundered the proceeds of their scheme using Bitcoin cryptocurrency payments, wire transfers, and bundles of cash sent through the mail.

Given the profitability of the Darknet scheme, Wilson repeatedly hit limits, set by his distributor, on the amount of prescription drugs that he could obtain and provide to Burgamy. Consequently, Burgamy and Wilson developed an attack plot known as “Operation Firewood” to break into, steal the opiate supply of, and firebomb a competing pharmacy located in Auburn by using explosives. The goal of the attack plot was to destroy Wilson’s local competition, which Burgamy and Wilson believed would increase the volume of prescription drugs that Wilson’s pharmacy could obtain, thereby allowing Burgamy and Wilson’s drug trafficking operation to continue and expand.

Wilson created a “getaway” map and escape routes for Burgamy to use to help him evade law enforcement detection after the firebombing. Wilson instructed Burgamy to make the firebombing appear as though it was committed by a fictitious “pissed off husband” who learned about a fabricated affair involving the husband’s wife and a pharmacist from the victim pharmacy. Burgamy and Wilson also discussed obtaining and selling hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for illegal distribution purposes in order to further profit from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Burgamy assured Wilson that if anything happened to him, he would take care of Wilson’s “family and bills,” and Wilson agreed to safeguard Burgamy’s life insurance information in the event Burgamy was killed during the attack. Burgamy and Wilson also agreed that Burgamy and another individual would carry multiple firearms during the attack and use explosives, specifically Molotov cocktails enhanced with Styrofoam as a thickening agent, to burn the victim pharmacy down. Law enforcement located eight unsecured fully loaded firearms in Burgamy’s residence, including AR-15 assault rifles and numerous high capacity magazines.

Burgamy and Wilson were sentenced to 168 months and 112 months in prison respectively. 

This prosecution was part of an international enforcement operation targeting opioid traffickers on the Darknet. Operation DisrupTor, announced on September 22, was conducted across the United States and Europe and resulted in over 170 arrests worldwide, the seizure of weapons, drugs, and over $6.5 million.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh prosecuted both cases.

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. 1:20-cr-150 and Case No. 1:20-cr-151.