Eastern District of Virginia

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Romanian man who was extradited to the United States pleaded guilty today to an ATM skimming fraud scheme targeting Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.

According to court documents, in 2014 and 2015, Aurel Eremia, 43, and several other conspirators engaged in widespread effort to install portable card reading devices (skimming devices) and micro camera equipment inside and over the mouth of NFCU ATMs card readers and keypads. Eremia and the conspirators used such devices to record and to acquire, without lawful authorization, the personal identification and financial information of NFCU customers.

Conspirators stored and transferred by electronic means the personal identification and financial information fraudulently obtained. Then, conspirators transferred and used the information to gain unauthorized access to bank and credit accounts belonging to NFCU customers by, among other things, re-encoding account numbers onto the magnetic strips of other cards, including gift cards. The re-encoded cards, in combination with the corresponding PINs, were used to make unauthorized withdrawals and transfers from the compromised NFCU accounts, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere. The conspiracy resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses and other conspirators have been convicted and sentenced.

Eremia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the conspiracy charge, and a mandatory consecutive term of 2 years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charge. Eremia is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2021. 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; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Jerald W. Page, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge  Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Samuels and Kaitlin 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. 4:15-cr-63.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Emporia man was sentenced today to one year prison for lying on ATF forms in the course of straw purchasing five firearms.

According to court documents, following the recovery of a firearm from a convicted felon by the Metropolitan Police Department, ATF agents reviewed firearm transaction records and determined that Shatez Damauri-Quadre Franklin, 23, had purchased the firearm and numerous others less than three months prior from a sporting goods store in Colonial Heights. In making the purchases, Franklin represented himself as the true buyer of the firearms. However, immediately after he received the firearms, Franklin transferred them to another individual who was going to resell them in Washington, D.C. Franklin was paid by the individual for making the purchases.

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 U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia T. Giles and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-125.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Arlington man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud that resulted in losses of over $3.5 million.

According to court documents, Onkur Lal, 29, worked in various roles at MedEx Pharmacy, MedEx Health Pharmacy, and Royal Care Pharmacy, which were all owned and operated by the same individual. From around 2014 to around 2019, Lal conspired with the owner and others in a number of different fraudulent schemes to defraud health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, Medicare, Virginia Medicaid, and Maryland Medicaid. Lal took part in a number of fraudulent schemes, including generating false prescriptions, billing health insurance companies for prescriptions that were never filled, and billing patients’ health care benefit programs for numerous high cost medications that he and his co-conspirators knew were not prescribed and/or never received.

Lal and his conspirators also submitted false invoices under the names of other pharmacies, in an attempt to circumvent audits. Further, Lal and another co-conspirator fraudulently posed as pharmacists by elevating their title and credentials within the pharmacy’s prescription software system. Lal and his co-conspirator then used these elevated titles to verify prescriptions, which they then submitted to health care benefit programs and pharmaceutical suppliers for payment. The various schemes resulted in health care benefit programs losing more than $3.5 million.

Lal is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 21, 2021, and 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; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Christopher Dillard, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service's Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monika Moore, Carina A. Cuellar, and Jamar K. Walker 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-237.

NORFOLK, Va. – Six members of a North Carolina-based drug-trafficking organization were arrested today on charges of the murder-for-hire of Norfolk resident Lillian Bond, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and narcotics conspiracy, murder while engaged in a continuing criminal enterprise, murder while engaged in a drug-trafficking offense, use of a firearm resulting in death, and distribution of cocaine, among other charges. 

According to the indictment unsealed today, the defendants were charged for their roles in a long-running drug conspiracy allegedly led by Jaquate Simpson and based in the Greensboro, North Carolina, area. The indictment alleges that during the conspiracy, a Norfolk-based drug dealer who had been buying cocaine from the conspiracy failed to pay for a multi-kilogram delivery. The indictment alleges that, as payback, Simpson and his right-hand man, Landis Jackson, hired Kalub Shipman and Nelson Evans to murder someone associated with the Norfolk drug dealer, and that on April 19, 2016, Shipman and Evans shot Lillian Bond to death outside her residence on Trice Terrace in Norfolk.

Six of the defendants were arrested in the Greensboro and Charlotte areas today.  The remaining two defendants, Jaquate Simpson and Kalub Shipman, are in state custody and will make their initial appearances in federal court at a later date.

The defendants and charges are listed below:

Name

Age

Charges

Jaquate Simpson, aka
“Quay,” “J,” “Stacks,” “Predator”

36

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

Landis Jackson, aka “Juve,” “Juvie”

36

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

Kalub Shipman, aka “Kato,” “Baydo”

32

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

Nelson Evans

30

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

Patrice Farland, aka “Treece”

41

Narcotics conspiracy; distribution of cocaine

Brian Tate, aka
“B. Tate”

35

Narcotics conspiracy

Mario Love, aka “O”

36

Narcotics conspiracy

Shafter Manuel, aka “Pete”

37

Narcotics conspiracy

If convicted, the charged defendants face mandatory minimum sentences ranging from 10 years in prison to life. 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.

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

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement after the indictment was unsealed.

The Greensboro (NC) Police Department and DEA provided assistance with this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph DePadilla, Andrew Bosse, and John F. Butler, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bird, 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-90.

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – United States Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger today announced awards of $14,330,170 in Department of Justice grants to fight drug abuse and addiction in the Eastern District of Virginia.

“The addiction crisis has taken an enormous toll on America’s families and communities, eroding public health, threatening public safety and claiming tens of thousands of lives year after year,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “Through comprehensive measures taken by this administration, we have been able to curtail the opioid epidemic, but new and powerful drugs are presenting exceptional challenges that we must be prepared to meet. The Justice Department’s substantial investments in enforcement, response, and treatment will help us overcome these challenges and work towards freeing Americans from abuse and addiction.”

The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and are part of more than $341 million going to communities nationwide.

“During my time as U.S. Attorney, we have been laser-focused on the goal of reducing deaths involving opioids and the addiction crisis through coordinated, community-wide solutions targeting both the supply of and demand for opioids,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We have enacted a robust enforcement policy, investigating and prosecuting drug traffickers whose poison causes death and other non-fatal overdoses. We have also developed key community partnerships for an all-hands-on-deck approach. And we have invested valuable resources in prevention efforts through community outreach, increasing education and raising awareness of the dangers of addiction through our Silent No More program. While I am proud of this work and our accomplishments, I recognize that we must remain vigilant in our efforts to combat this crisis. With this commitment, I am confident that the work we do will account for the number of lives saved in the coming months and years.”

Awardee

Program

Amount

Virginia Arlington County Government

Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program

$899,887

 

Virginia County of Augusta

Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program

$600,000

 

Virginia Chesterfield County

Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program

$1,192,430

 

Virginia Isle of Wight County

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program

$330,500

 

Virginia Alexandria Commonwealth’s Attorney

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program

$499,112

 

Virginia National Association of Drug Court Professionals

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Planning, Training and Technical Assistance, and Resource Center Initiative

$1,450,000

Virginia National Association of Drug Court Professionals

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Planning, Training and Technical Assistance, and Resource Center Initiative

$2,700,000

Virginia National Association of Drug Court Professionals

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Planning, Training and Technical Assistance, and Resource Center Initiative

$1,500,000

Virginia National Association of Drug Court Professionals

Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Planning, Training and Technical Assistance, and Resource Center Initiative

$2,200,000

Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services

Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program

$727,336

 

National Recreation and Park Association

Mentoring Opportunities For Youth Initiative

$1,249,999

Child Family Services of Eastern Virginia, Inc., dba ‘The Up Center’

Opioid Affected Youth Initiative

$690,553

Virginia Department of Forensic Science

Research and Evaluation for the Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in

Publically Funded Forensics Laboratory

$290,353

 

Illegal drugs and illicit drug use have claimed the lives of nearly 400,000 Americans since the turn of the century. Powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl are exacting an enormous toll on families and communities, and an emergence in the use of methamphetamines and other psychostimulants is drawing drug traffickers and driving up overdose rates. Three years ago, President Trump declared a Public Health Emergency and initiated a whole-of-government approach dedicated to ending this national tragedy. The Department of Justice has invested unprecedented levels of funding in combating the addiction crisis. The awards announced today build on those earlier investments.

“If we hope to defeat an enemy as powerful, persistent and adaptable as illicit drugs, we must be at least as determined and versatile, focusing our ingenuity and resources on curbing abuse and fighting addiction,” said OJP’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “These grants will enable criminal justice officials and substance abuse, mental health and other medical professionals to pool their assets and bring the full weight of our public safety and treatment systems down on this epidemic that has already caused so much harm.”

Funding is made available through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Institute of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, click here. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.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.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Leesburg man was arrested today on charges of fraudulently obtaining over $2.5 million in loans through the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and then spending the fraudulently obtained money on luxury items.

According to court documents, Didier Kindambu, 48, fraudulently obtained two loans issued 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. 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. In total, Kindambu fraudulently obtained approximately $2,501,753 in loan proceeds, and then spent those funds, in part, on items unrelated to any legitimate PPP-related expense, such as a Lexus automobile and a Cessna aircraft.

Kindambu is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Alexandria today at 2 p.m.

Kindambu is charged with one count of bank fraud. If convicted, 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 Jay N. Lerner, Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC-OIG), made the announcement.

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-mj-286.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran with multiple previous convictions and removals pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States.

According to court documents, Erasmo Alberto-Echeverria, 43, illegally reentered the United States after having been removed on two different occasions. In 2009, Alberto-Echeverria was convicted of misdemeanor hit and run and driving while under the influence of alcohol in Fairfax County. He was removed from the United States by federal immigration authorities in 2010. Thereafter, he illegally reentered the country and was arrested in 2015 on an outstanding warrant for his misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance before he was removed. After being convicted of that narcotics offense in Fairfax County, the defendant was removed from the United States for the second time. He illegally reentered the country for a third time and was most recently discovered by immigration authorities after his arrest in Fairfax County in 2020 for the misdemeanors unlawful entry and destruction of property.

Alberto-Echeverria faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13. 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 Matthew Munroe, Acting Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William I. Friedman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raizza K. Ty 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-221.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger provided an update on the status of Project Guardian-DMV, our strategic effort to reduce violent crime and further enforce federal firearms laws across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV).

“Criminals in the DMV have been on notice that we are federally serious about illegal firearms offenses,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The prosecutors of the Eastern District, in conjunction with ATF and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, have redoubled our efforts to combat straw purchasing, firearms trafficking, and use of a firearm during a drug trafficking or violent crime offense, pursuant to Project Guardian-DMV.”

During Fiscal Year 2020, from Oct. 1, 2019 through Sept. 30, 2020, the Alexandria Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged over 60 defendants with firearms-related offenses, including straw purchases, illegal possession of firearms by previously convicted felons and other prohibited persons, and carrying, brandishing, or discharging a firearm during a crime of violence or in relation to a drug trafficking offense. These defendants were involved in the unlawful purchase and/or possession of over 200 firearms, of which more than 85 firearms have been recovered and seized by law enforcement.

Project Guardian is the Justice Department’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.

Project Guardian-DMV localizes the Justice Department’s national effort, and expands upon the current partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia, the ATF, and Metro Police Department, and now also includes the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Maryland and the Western District of Virginia, and the Virginia State Police.

Recent Project Guardian-DMV cases

U.S. v. Emmanuel Ndjongo and Alexus Jordan

Ndjongo, of Bowie, Maryland, and his then-girlfriend, Jordon, of Alexandria, conspired to straw purchase 31 firearms from Federal Firearm Licensees (FFLs) in Virginia. Jordon purchased six of the firearms at FFLs in Virginia. Ndjongo used Jordon’s name to order the remaining firearms online from an FFL located in North Carolina, and had these firearms shipped to various FFLs in Virginia. Once the firearms arrived in Virginia, Jordon picked up the firearms and gave them to Ndjongo, who sought to sell the firearms to other individuals. Local law enforcement in Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland have recovered two of the firearms unlawfully purchased during this conspiracy, both of which had altered or destroyed serial numbers. The whereabouts of the remaining 29 firearms are unknown.

U.S. v. Reginald Tolliver

In July 2019, Tolliver, of Woodbridge, a previously convicted felon, unlawfully possessed and fired a SigSauer semi-automatic pistol during a gang-related shootout at a recording studio in Alexandria. Surveillance video footage captured two masked individuals exit a vehicle and fire at a vehicle occupied by Tolliver and his associates. Video captured Tolliver fire his pistol at the masked individuals before police responded to the scene to find Tolliver and an associate wounded by gunfire. On August 13, Tolliver was sentenced to over four years in prison for his involvement in the shootout.

U.S. v. Chad Thomas Lamph

Lamph, of Fredericksburg, pleaded guilty on September 25 to lying on an ATF form in the course of straw-purchasing seven firearms for a convicted felon and criminal street gang member. Following the recovery of a firearm by the Metropolitan Police Department that had been purchased just one week prior, ATF agents reviewed firearm transaction records and determined that Lamph, 22, had purchased that firearm and numerous others from federal firearms licensees in December 2019. For each firearm that he purchased, Lamph certified on ATF Form 4473 that he was the actual transferee / buyer. However, the ATF’s investigation revealed that Lamph had in fact purchased seven of those firearms on behalf of another individual he knew to be a convicted felon and criminal street gang member in exchange for money. Lamph pleaded guilty to making a false statement with respect to information required to be kept in the records of a federal firearms licensee. Lamph faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on December 11.

U.S. v. David Sungur

On September 29, Sungur, of Fairfax, pleaded guilty today to dealing in firearms without a license. Beginning around March 2019 through March 2020, Sungur engaged in the business of dealing in firearms through the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms. Among the firearms that he sold and advertised for sale were homemade pistols devoid of serial numbers or other unique identifiers, commonly known as “ghost guns.” Sungur explained to prospective customers that he charged a premium for such pistols because he made them, because they lacked serial numbers, and because they could not be linked to any previous criminal activities. Sungur also sold weapons on multiple occasions to undercover detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department’s Organized Crime & Intelligence Bureau, who had learned he was selling firearms. Over the course of four separate transactions, he sold detectives more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, magazines, and numerous firearms – some of which were "ghost guns" – in exchange for cash. On two of these occasions, Sungur also sold detectives 3D-printed machine gun conversion devices that, after installation, enabled semi-automatic firearms to fire fully-automatically. Following his arrest, Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at his residence and discovered that he was in possession of additional materials and kits used to manufacture ghost guns, additional ammunition, additional magazines, a 3D printer, and an additional firearm. Sungus faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on December 16.

More information on Project Guardian in EDVA 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.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man pleaded guilty today to being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and felony possession of marijuana. Both charges stem from the defendant’s alleged involvement in a January traffic stop that led to the death of Newport News Police Officer Katie Thyne.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 23, Vernon Evander Green II, 38, encountered Newport News Police at the Monitor Merrimac Overlook. Police responded to the area after reports of a vehicle with two occupants who appeared to be smoking marijuana. The officers found Green in the driver’s seat and asked him to exit the vehicle. He failed to comply with the officers’ requests and instead fled the scene.

A later search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of marijuana in different places of the vehicle. Officers found a soft cooler bag near Green’s vehicle that had the word “BrightView” written on the front. The bag contained Green’s picture and a Kel-Tec CNC Industries firearm with Green’s fingerprint on the magazine. The BrightView cooler bag had been in the defendant’s vehicle during the encounter with the Newport News police officers at the Monitor Merrimac Overlook. The defendant admitted he had previously been convicted of a felony and was not allowed to possess a firearm.

Green pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana, a felony due to Green’s prior felony drug conviction. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 18, 2021. 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 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; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick and Lisa R. McKeel are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-cr-35.

RICHMOND, Va. – An Arlington man was sentenced today to over 15 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor in the Richmond area.

“We must do everything possible to protect our children from dangerous sexual predators like Jose Parra-Camargo,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Child sexual abuse is a horrific and abhorrent crime. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and prosecutors for ensuring that Parra-Camargo will now be in a place where he cannot prey on our most vulnerable victims.”

According to court documents, Parra-Camargo, 45, solicited a 14 year-old female in the Richmond area for sex on numerous occasions in 2016 and 2017 over the Internet application “Kik.” As part of this conduct, he directed her to send him pornographic images of herself. On two occasions, Camargo drove to Richmond from his residence in Arlington and had sex with the minor victim after convincing her to sneak out of her house. 

“Child predators often use the Internet to gain the trust of vulnerable children and exploit it for their own gratification. They are a true danger to our children, communities, and society,” said David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and the men and women of the Richmond Child Exploitation Task Force this predator has been taken off the streets and can no longer victimize our children.”

Around the same time, Parra-Camargo was additionally chatting with an undercover officer from the Loudoun County, Virginia Police Department who was posing as a 14 year-old girl. After also soliciting the undercover officer for sex, Loudoun County officers arrested Parra-Camargo. He pled guilty in 2017 in a separate state prosecution in Loudoun County Circuit Court to use of a communications system to solicit a minor and received a five-year term of imprisonment, which he will continue to serve out prior to beginning his term of federal imprisonment.

“A strong sentence like this sends an important message that individuals who try to exploit children and rob them of their innocence will be brought to justice,” said Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia. “I want to thank my team for their hard work on this case, as well as our state and federal partners for their continued partnership in working to bring justice to those who would harm or take advantage of children.”

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; David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexaundra Williams and Gene Fishel 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-4.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk woman was sentenced today to six and a half years in prison for being an illegal drug user in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Jaclyn Amanda Inge, 41, purchased two handguns from federally licensed gun dealers at gun shows. Before buying each gun, Inge completed a form 4473. On the form, she checked the box indicating that she was not addicted to drugs or a drug user, when in fact, as several witnesses would testify, she has used marijuana daily for years. And she illegally possessed those guns while being a drug user.

In October 2017, Inge and two conspirators, including Desmond Littlejohn, plotted to rob Mac’s Reloads, a Federal Firearm Licensee and ammunition-reloading business located in Virginia Beach where Inge was employed. During the robbery, Inge and Littlejohn used at least one of the guns Inge had purchased just weeks earlier. Inge provided the robbers with inside information about Mac’s Reloads to help them commit the crime.

In February 2019, Littlejohn was convicted by a federal jury of charges stemming from the armed robbery and was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison.

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 Robert G. Doumar.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and Bill Muhr prosecuted the case.

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.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-90.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The United States has unsealed a superseding indictment charging six individuals with participating in a conspiracy to launder millions of dollars of drug proceeds on behalf of foreign cartels. This superseding indictment is the result of a nearly four-year investigation into the relationship between foreign drug trafficking organizations and Asian money laundering networks in the United States, China, and elsewhere.

“The successful work in uncovering and halting this scheme is due to years of collaboration and cooperation by multiple Department of Justice units and our law enforcement partners who are all committed to combating transnational criminal organizations,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We would not have been able to achieve this result without our investigative partners and agencies around the world helping contribute to this case. My thanks to all of you for your continued commitment to this important work.”

“The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that distribute contraband, launder illicit proceeds, and attempt to corrupt our society,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt for the Criminal Division. “I would like to recognize the extraordinary efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and our federal law enforcement partners for taking down a criminal organization that laundered drug proceeds for the Mexican cartels. Drug traffickers and money launderers operate globally, but this investigation demonstrates that they will be brought to justice wherever they are found.”

According to the superseding indictment, Xizhi Li, Jianxing Chen, Jiayu Chen, Eric Yong Woo, Jingyuan Li, Tao Liu, and others participated in a years’ long conspiracy to use casinos, front companies, foreign and domestic bank accounts, and bulk cash smuggling to launder money on behalf of drug trafficking organizations.

“These individuals went to great lengths to conceal their alleged criminal activities and further schemes that enabled drug cartels to push their poisons on our communities and launder their illicit proceeds,” said Wendy Woolcock, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Special Operations Division. “Despite these efforts, they could not evade detection by U.S. law enforcement. DEA, along with our partners, will continue to arrest and bring to justice transnational criminals like these, who facilitate and profit from the vicious global drug trade.”

The superseding indictment also alleges that Tao Liu planned to bribe a U.S. Department of State official using wire transfers and cryptocurrency to create U.S. passports that he and his associates would use to enter the United States and engage in additional crimes, including money laundering. In fact, this State Department official was an undercover law enforcement agent, and these allegations stem from a seven-month undercover investigation.

“The defendants in this case are alleged to have gone to great lengths to carry out their sophisticated money laundering conspiracy,” said James M. Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Chicago. “HSI will continue to collaborate with our partner agencies to disrupt the flow of narcotics into the country that is facilitated through the laundering of funds out of the U.S.”

“This is a perfect illustration of DSS’ global reach and our ability to partner with U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies on complex international, multi-jurisdictional cases,” said Jeffrey A. Thomas, Deputy Assistant Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Investigations Division. “DSS and our counterparts are conducting investigations like these on a daily basis around the world.”

Below is information related to each defendant charged in the superseding indictment:

Name, Age

Charges

Xizhi Li, 45

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering)

Jianxing Chen, 40

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering)

Jiayu Chen, 46

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering)

Eric Yong Woo, 43

Counts 3 (money laundering)

Jingyuan Li, 47

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering)

Tao Liu, 45

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

 

Five of the six defendants are in custody (Jianxing Chen is a fugitive).

Xizhi Li, Jiaxing Chen, Jiayu Chen, Jingyuan Li, and Tao Liu are all charged with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine knowing and intending that it will be unlawfully imported into the United States. If convicted, these defendants faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Xizhi Li, Jiaxing Chen, Jiayu Chen, Jingyuan Li, Eric Yong Woo, and Tao Liu are also charged with conspiracy to launder money. If convicted of this offense, the defendants will face a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.

Additionally, Tao Liu is charged with four counts of attempted identity fraud, four counts of bribery, one count of conspiracy to launder money, and two counts of international promotional money laundering. If convicted of attempted identity fraud and/or bribery, he faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment per count. If convicted of money laundering, he faces up to 20 years’ of imprisonment per count.

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

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wendy C. Woolcock, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA-Louisville; Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA-New York; Jessica Moore, Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); and James M. Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

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

Significant assistance was provided by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Federal Police, the Mexican Federal Police, Australia Department of Home Affairs, the Guatemalan National Civil Police (PNC), and the New Zealand Police.

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

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

The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging six individuals with participating in a conspiracy to launder millions of dollars of drug proceeds on behalf of foreign cartels.  This superseding indictment is the result of a nearly four-year investigation into the relationship between foreign drug trafficking organizations and Asian money laundering networks in the United States, China, and elsewhere.

“The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that distribute contraband, launder illicit proceeds, and attempt to corrupt our society,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt for the Criminal Division.  “I would like to recognize the extraordinary efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and our federal law enforcement partners for taking down a criminal organization that laundered drug proceeds for the Mexican cartels.  Drug traffickers and money launderers operate globally, but this investigation demonstrates that they will be brought to justice wherever they are found.”

“The successful work in uncovering and halting this scheme is due to years of collaboration and cooperation by multiple Department of Justice units and our law enforcement partners who are all committed to combating transnational criminal organizations,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.  “We would not have been able to achieve this result without our investigative partners and agencies around the world helping contribute to this case.  My thanks to all of you for your continued commitment to this important work.”

“These individuals went to great lengths to conceal their alleged criminal activities and further schemes that enabled drug cartels to push their poisons on our communities and launder their illicit proceeds,” said Wendy Woolcock, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Operations Division.  “Despite these efforts, they could not evade detection by U.S. law enforcement. DEA, along with our partners, will continue to arrest and bring to justice transnational criminals like these, who facilitate and profit from the vicious global drug trade.”

“The defendants in this case are alleged to have gone to great lengths to carry out their sophisticated money laundering conspiracy,” said James M. Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago. “HSI will continue to collaborate with our partner agencies to disrupt the flow of narcotics into the country that is facilitated through the laundering of funds out of the U.S.”

“This is a perfect illustration of DSS’ global reach and our ability to partner with U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies on complex international, multi-jurisdictional cases,” said Jeffrey A. Thomas, Deputy Assistant Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Investigations Division. “DSS and our counterparts are conducting investigations like these on a daily basis around the world.”

According to the superseding indictment, Xizhi Li, Jianxing Chen, Jiayu Chen, Eric Yong Woo, Jingyuan Li, Tao Liu, and others participated in a years’ long conspiracy to use casinos, front companies, foreign and domestic bank accounts, and bulk cash smuggling to launder money on behalf of drug trafficking organizations.

The superseding indictment also alleges that Tao Liu planned to bribe a U.S. Department of State official using wire transfers and cryptocurrency to create U.S. passports that he and his associates would use to enter the United States and engage in additional crimes, including money laundering.  In fact, this State Department official was an undercover law enforcement agent, and these allegations stem from a seven-month undercover investigation.

Below is information related to each defendant charged in the superseding indictment:

Name, Age

Charges

Xizhi Li, 45

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering)

Jianxing Chen, 40

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering)

Jiayu Chen, 46

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering)

Eric Yong Woo, 43

Counts 3 (money laundering)

Jingyuan Li, 47

Counts 1-3 (drug trafficking and money laundering)

Tao Liu, 45

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

 

Five of the six defendants are in custody, Jianxing Chen is a fugitive.

Xizhi Li, Jiaxing Chen, Jiayu Chen, Jingyuan Li, and Tao Liu are all charged with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine knowing and intending that it will be unlawfully imported into the United States.  If convicted, these defendants faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Xizhi Li, Jiaxing Chen, Jiayu Chen, Jingyuan Li, Eric Yong Woo, and Tao Liu are also charged with conspiracy to launder money. If convicted of this offense, the defendants will face a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.

Additionally, Tao Liu is charged with four counts of attempted identity fraud, four counts of bribery, one count of conspiracy to launder money, and two counts of international promotional money laundering.  If convicted of attempted identity fraud and/or bribery, he faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment per count.  If convicted of money laundering, he faces up to 20 years’ of imprisonment per count.

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

Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wendy C. Woolcock, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Special Operations Division; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA-Louisville; Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA-New York; Jessica Moore, Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division of the U.S. Department of State’s DSS; and James M. Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of HSI made the announcement.

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

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance. Significant assistance was also provided by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Federal Police, the Mexican Federal Police, Australia Department of Home Affairs, the Guatemalan National Civil Police (PNC), and the New Zealand Police.

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

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

NORFOLK, Va. – Today U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger provided an update on the status of Project Guardian, our strategic effort to reduce violent crime and further enforce federal firearms laws across the Eastern District of Virginia, including here in Hampton Roads.

“We are committed to combating violent crime and firearms offenses in our Tidewater Divisions,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The prosecutors of the Eastern District, in conjunction with ATF and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, are doubling down on illegal firearms offenses through Project Guardian.”

During Fiscal Year 2020, from Oct. 1, 2019 through Sept. 30, 2020, the Norfolk and Newport News Divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office have charged over 85 defendants with firearms-related offenses, including straw purchases, illegal possession of firearms by previously convicted felons and other prohibited persons, and carrying, brandishing, or discharging a firearm during a crime of violence or in relation to a drug trafficking offense. One such collaborative effort was Operation High Tide, which resulted in 23 convictions and combined sentences of over 187 years for previously convicted felons who illegally possessed firearms and many of whom sold narcotics while in possession of firearms.

Project Guardian is the Justice Department’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.

Project Guardian in EDVA localizes the Justice Department’s national effort, and expands upon the current partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia, the ATF, and Metro Police Department, and now also includes the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Maryland and the Western District of Virginia, and the Virginia State Police.

Recent Project Guardian cases in Hampton Roads

United States v. Vernon Evander Green II

On July 6, 2020, Green made his initial appearance in federal court on gun charges stemming from his alleged involvement in a January traffic stop that led to the death of Newport News Police Officer Katie Thyne. Green is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana. He is scheduled to plead guilty tomorrow.

United States v. Paul Eric Sherrod Parham

In September 2019, Paul Eric Sherrod Parham, a seven-time prior convicted felon, was walking in the area of 36th Street and Chestnut Avenue in Newport News. Parham had outstanding warrants at the time for abduction, larceny, assault and battery, and withholding a credit card belonging to another individual. An individual who knew Parham, and who was aware of Parham’s outstanding warrants, notified Newport News Police of Parham’s precise location. When officers encountered Parham, confirmed his identity and felony status, and began to take him into custody, Parham notified the officers that he was unlawfully carrying a loaded SCCY, CPX-1, 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Parham pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 4, 2021.

United States v. Tamarrea Deyon Walker

In April 2019, Walker, who is a member of the Suffolk-based criminal street gang “YNGI”, and a fellow gang member, brandished firearms and shot at two rival gang members, who fled to their vehicle and drove away while brandishing rifles. Walker and four other YNGI members got into their own car and gave chase. The two groups shot at each other while driving. The driver of Walker’s car was shot in the chest, which caused him to slam on the gas, speed through an intersection, and crash head-on into another vehicle. Police officers arrived at the accident scene soon after and saw Walker rummaging around the vehicle and an extended 9mm magazine lying on the ground by his feet. This extended magazine was capable of holding more than double the ammunition in a standard handgun clip. The officers also recovered from the wreckage more than 30 grams of heroin and four firearms, including a Masterpiece Arms 9mm handgun. A photo of Walker holding the Masterpiece Arms handgun, loaded with that same extended magazine, was posted on his Instagram account just days earlier. Walker had a prior conviction for felony possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and a lengthy history of participating in gang activity and brandishing firearms at his enemies. Furthermore, Walker was on state probation for the felony when he committed this offense. On September 10, Walker was sentenced to 70 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and his sentence was ordered to be served consecutive to his state sentence for violating probation.

United States v. Demetrius McGregor

On September 24, a federal jury convicted McGregor, who is an 11-time convicted felon with a long history of committing violent gun crimes in Hampton Roads, on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. On Oct. 6, 2017, McGregor was arrested on a warrant in front of his apartment by members of the Norfolk Police Department Fugitive Unit and a Deputy U.S. Marshal. They recovered a loaded Sig Sauer handgun from his waistband. Investigators obtained a search warrant for McGregor’s apartment, where he was staying with his mother, and found in the bedroom closet 18 bags of cocaine, two assault rifles, one of which was loaded and had been reported stolen, four additional large-capacity magazines, dozens of rounds of .45 and 9mm caliber ammunition, and two digital scales. The investigators also recovered from under the bedroom mattress a Sig Saur .45 caliber magazine designed for the gun taken from his waistband, two additional digital scales sitting out in the open on top of a cabinet, and shoes that McGregor had previously photographed himself wearing and had posted on his Facebook page along with multiple photos of himself standing in front of his residence months before the arrest and search. The .45 caliber ammunition from the closet and in the magazine under the mattress matched the brand of the ammunition in the handgun recovered from McGregor. McGregor faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on Feb. 4, 2021.

United States v. Keith Earl Redman

Redman was a member of a Portsmouth-based cocaine and crack-trafficking conspiracy led by Charles Boomer (who was recently sentenced to sixteen years in federal prison) that was responsible for distributing kilogram amounts of the substances throughout Hampton Roads. Redman was the armed security for Boomer’s drug premises. In September 2018, Redman engaged in a shootout with at least two masked gunmen trying to rob one of Boomer’s drug premises—a residence across the street from a Portsmouth elementary school. Redman shot both gunmen in the legs and thwarted the robbery, while sustaining minor injuries. Police officers arrived at the scene and stopped Boomer, Redman, and another co-conspirator as they were trying to flee in Redman’s girlfriend’s car. During the police encounter, the officers saw that the co-conspirators were sitting on multiple bags of cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, thousands of dollars in cash, and the handgun Redman used to shoot at the masked gunmen. The officers recovered even more drugs and drug-manufacturing materials, as well as dozens of spent shell casings, from inside and in front of the residence. On October 1, Redman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for discharging a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime.

More information on Project Guardian in EDVA 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.

RICHMOND, Va. – Today U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger provided an update on the status of Project Guardian, our strategic effort to reduce violent crime and further enforce federal firearms laws across the Eastern District of Virginia, including here in Richmond.

“We are committed to combating violent crime and firearms offenses in our Richmond Division,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The prosecutors of the Eastern District, in conjunction with ATF and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, are doubling down on illegal firearms offenses through Project Guardian.”

Project Guardian is the Justice Department’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.

Project Guardian in EDVA localizes the Justice Department’s national effort, and expands upon the current partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia, the ATF, and Metro Police Department, and now also includes the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Maryland and the Western District of Virginia, and the Virginia State Police.

During Fiscal Year 2020, from October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020, the Richmond Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged approximately 55 defendants with firearms-related offenses, including straw purchases, illegal possession of firearms by previously convicted felons and other prohibited persons, and carrying, brandishing, or discharging a firearm during a crime of violence or in relation to a drug trafficking offense. These defendants were involved in the unlawful purchase and/or possession of over 175 firearms, of which more than 100 firearms have been recovered and seized by law enforcement.

Recent Project Guardian cases in Richmond

U.S. v. Robert Graham and Rashad Fraierson

Fraierson and Graham robbed the Powhatan Drug Pharmacy, and the Bremo Pharmacy, in Henrico, in order to steal narcotics, including Oxycodone, Oxycontin, and other substances. In the first robbery, in July 2019, Graham placed a false 911 call regarding a threat of an armed person at a local high school. As law enforcement was diverted, which was Graham’s and Fraierson’s intention, Graham and Fraierson entered Powhatan Drug Pharmacy, brandished a firearm, forcibly tied up the pharmacist using zip-ties, and robbed the pharmacy of various narcotics. Before they fled, the two men stole more than $33,000 worth of drugs. The second robbery occurred in November 2019, when they used the same techniques to rob the Bremo Pharmacy, and stole more than $20,000 worth of drugs. Fraierson, who was previously convicted of three felony drug trafficking crimes in 2002, 2003, and 2015, was sentenced on October 1 to 26 years in prison. Graham was sentenced on October 9, 2020 to over 14 years in prison.

U.S. v. Travis Ball

On June 18, 2020, Ball was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his illegal possession of a firearm that was used to kill Virginia State Police Special Agent Michael Walter in May 2017. Ball shot and killed Special Agent Walter during a traffic stop in the Mosby Court public housing community in Richmond. At the time of the murder, Ball possessed a FIE, model Titan, .25 caliber, semi-automatic pistol. Believing that he was wanted in Lancaster County for a probation violation, Ball resisted arrested and shot Special Agent Walter once in the head. Text messages found on Ball’s cellphone later revealed that two days prior to the murder he told his girlfriend he was not going back to jail and would “end up killing something.” The sentence imposed in this case runs consecutive to the 36-year sentence for capital murder that Ball received in the City of Richmond Circuit Court related to the murder of Special Agent Walter.

U.S. v. Antonio Smith

On October 6, 2020, Smith was sentenced to four years in prison for possession of a firearm by convicted felon. According to court documents, Smith was observed by Richmond Police with two firearms after several previous convictions for felonies. In September 2019, Richmond Police were called to the scene of a domestic assault, and observed Smith on the front porch of the residence. Smith then quickly ran inside, only to emerge from the back door of the residence a few seconds later. Police asked Smith to stop, but he continued around the building and ran up to an occupied vehicle that was parked on the street. At that time, the police officer observed Smith toss two firearms into the vehicle. Smith was arrested at the scene and the firearms were recovered. At sentencing, Smith received an enhancement for reckless endangerment to the occupants of the vehicle.

U.S. v. Shamel McLaughlin

On October 7, 2020, McLaughlin, a previously convicted felon, was sentenced to over 12 years in prison for his possession of a firearm and possession of distribution amounts of cocaine hydrochloride and cocaine base following a vehicular pursuit in the City of Richmond. According to court documents, in October 2019, McLaughlin engaged Richmond Police Department (RPD) officers in a high-speed vehicular pursuit in a residential neighborhood in the City of Richmond. Upon stopping his vehicle, RPD officers apprehended McLaughlin after a brief foot pursuit. A search of McLaughlin revealed a baggie with 3.45 grams of cocaine hydrochloride and 15 grams of marijuana. Following McLaughlin’s arrest, RPD officers discovered inside his vehicle a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver, 17 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition, 2.49 grams of cocaine base, and small amounts of heroin and fentanyl. Based on his two prior drug distribution convictions, the Court sentenced McLaughlin as a career offender.

U.S. v. Vincent Rashad Gordon, et al.

On January 21, 2020, indictments were returned against Vincent Rashad Gordon, Davard Rasheed Anderson, Shaquinta Latoya Monroe, and Rahmer Raheem Scott for their respective roles in a conspiracy to straw purchase firearms. Each defendant allegedly entered into a conspiracy to assist Gordon with acquiring firearms he could not legally purchase. As a part of the conspiracy, Anderson, Monroe, and Scott would go into a licensed firearms dealership and purchase firearms at the direction of Gordon, who would tell them which firearms to buy and would provide them the money to purchase the firearms. To complete the purchase, the co-conspirators allegedly lied on ATF Form 4473, by affirming that they were purchasing the firearms for themselves when they were actually purchasing firearms for Gordon. Anderson purchased 54 firearms for Gordon; Monroe purchased 18 firearms for Gordon; and, Scott purchase 9 firearms for Gordon. Scott was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Monroe was sentenced to three years’ probation. Gordon is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2020. Anderson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7.

More information on Project Guardian in EDVA 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.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg man pleaded guilty today to possession of firearms as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Markes Jackson, 31, was arrested after he was observed by law enforcement driving erratically on the roadway in Colonial Heights in December 2019. A sergeant observed the vehicle that Jackson was driving straddling the centerline, and as Jackson continued to drive, the sergeant observed Jackson cross over the centerline three times.

After Jackson was stopped, officers approached the vehicle and smelled alcohol and marijuana. An officer observed the barrel of a rifle sticking out from underneath a blanket on the back floorboard. Jackson was found to be in possession of a pill bottle with no label, which had 32 Alprazolam pills wrapped inside a plastic baggie. A 9mm round of ammunition was also recovered from Jackson’s pocket. A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of a Taurus 9mm firearm from underneath the driver’s seat. This weapon had 8 rounds in the magazine and a round in the chamber.

In addition, Jackson acknowledged in the statement of facts filed with the Court that he also possessed the Bushmaster rifle that was on the back floorboard. This firearm was a high capacity weapon equipped with a 45-round magazine, with 25 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber. The Taurus 9mm firearm had been acquired by Jackson in November 2019. More than one-half ounce of marijuana and Eutylone, a Schedule I controlled substance, were also recovered from the Toyota.

In pleading guilty, Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 12, 2021. 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 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; and Colonel Jeffrey W. Faries, Chief of Colonial Heights Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller 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-87.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Lancaster, California man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, while he was serving a life sentence in a California prison, Nicholas Everet Thurman, 38, acted as a contact between drug customers and suppliers, using various means including contraband mobile telephones. Thurman arranged for methamphetamine and other controlled substances to be shipped from drug suppliers in California and Mexico to drug distributors in the Eastern District of Virginia and New Jersey for further distribution.

On May 24, 2019, a federal grand jury in Norfolk returned an indictment charging Thurman and others with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Following his indictment, Thurman was transported to Norfolk, where the U.S. Marshal placed Thurman in custody at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail in Suffolk. Upon arrival, Thurman regularly communicated with Sallie Renee Jones, a Chesapeake resident. From September 2019, and continuing thereafter until October 2019, Thurman and Jones routinely discussed ongoing shipments of controlled substances and corresponding payments for drug shipments. It was revealed to investigators that Thurman had access to multiple drug trafficking organizations based in California, as well as Mexico, which he used to have methamphetamine and other illegal controlled substances mailed to the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere for distribution.

Between June 2019 and October 2019, Thurman caused approximately 24 parcels containing methamphetamine and other controlled substances to be shipped through the U.S. Mail from California to Jones in the South Hampton Roads area. Jones received the final such parcel on October 21, 2019, at her residence in Chesapeake. On October 24, 2019, the police seized 207.07 grams of methamphetamine from Jones and her passenger during a traffic stop in Virginia Beach. On the same date, the police seized 303.4 grams of methamphetamine from Jones’ residence in Chesapeake.

Jones pleaded guilty on July 26 and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30.

Thurman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Thurman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life in prison when sentenced on February 25, 2021. 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.; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Anthony F. Zucaro, Jr., Interim Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell 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. 2:19-cr-83.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID-19 and its impact on the criminal justice process.

These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.

“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”

“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”

“Combatting violent crime has been a top priority for the Eastern District of Virginia,” said United States Attorney, G. Zachary Terwilliger. “With the critical support of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we have surged resources to those areas hardest hit by firearms violence: Richmond, Petersburg, and the Peninsula. A critical part of this work has been prioritizing cases for federal prosecution such as the straw purchasing of firearms, felons in possession of firearms, and use of a firearm during a drug trafficking or violent crime offense. We will remain steadfast in this work until all of the Eastern District’s communities can walk out their front doors without constant fear of criminal crossfire.”

Of the more than 14,200 cases charged, over 200 defendants have been charged here in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense. The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law abiding people of this country safe from gun crime.

For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.

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 American military contractor pleaded guilty today to her role in a theft ring on a military installation in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbit of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko made the announcement.

Varita V. Quincy, 35, of Snellville, Georgia pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false official statements.  Sentencing is set for Feb. 23, 2021 before Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.

Quincy admitted that, between April 2015 and July 2015, she, Larry J. Green of Chesapeake, Virginia, and others conspired to steal, and did steal, equipment and property of value to the United States while working for a government contractor operating on Kandahar Airfield, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  Kandahar Airfield was used by U.S. military forces to support U.S. military missions throughout Afghanistan. 

Quincy was a supervisor in the office that issued security badges required for the movement of personnel and property on and off Kandahar Airfield.  Quincy admitted that as part of the conspiracy, Green identified items of value to steal, such as vehicles, generators, refrigerators, and other equipment.  Green negotiated the sale of those items with persons outside of the installation.  Quincy then facilitated the thefts by creating false official documents, or instructing those she supervised to prepare such documents, to facilitate the entry of unknown and unvetted Afghan nationals and their vehicles on to the military installation to remove the stolen property.  Quincy shared in the profits from this scheme.  The false documents she created, or directed others to create, were used to deceive security officers and gate guards and thereby compromised the security and safety of the military installation.

Quincy’s co-conspirator Green pleaded guilty on July 8, 2020, to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and commit theft of property of value to the United States worth over $300,000, one count of theft of property of value to the United States; and one count of aiding and abetting the submission of false statements.  His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2020.

SIGAR investigated the case with help from Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) and the 939th Military Police Detachment of the Indiana Army National Guard.  Trial Attorneys Sasha N. Rutizer of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Rosaleen O’Gara of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Defendants Alexanda Amon Kotey, 36, and El Shafee Elsheikh, 32, two militant fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) charged for their alleged participation in a brutal hostage-taking scheme that resulted in the deaths of four American citizens, today made multiple appearances here in federal court.

At 11:30 a.m. EST, both defendants appeared separately via video link for their respective detention hearings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa C. Buchanan. Both defendants waived their detention hearing, and were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

At 2:00 p.m. EST, both defendants appeared separately via video link for their respective arraignment hearings before Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Both defendants waived formal readings of the indictment, pleaded not guilty, and requested a trial by jury.

Judge Ellis found that the case is unusual and complex, will require a considerable amount of discovery, and may include classified information. As such, Judge Ellis found that the ends of justice outweigh the interests of the public and the defendants in proceeding to trial within the 70-day deadline established by the Speedy Trial Act.

The next court appearance for both defendants is a status conference scheduled for Jan. 15, 2021.

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-239.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Portsmouth woman with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud veterans.

According to allegations in the indictment, Rita Copeland, 59, operated an entity known as “Veteran Services of the Commonwealth.” Copeland purported to provide caregiving, contracting and rental assistance services to various veterans from 2016 through 2019. Copeland allegedly caused a number of victims to apply for Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grants through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such grant payments are to be used for certain designated improvements to the residences of veterans. Copeland allegedly failed to perform all of the promised work and used a portion of these payments to her own benefit, contrary to the designated purposes of the funds. Copeland also allegedly diverted the income and retirement fund payments of another veteran to a bank account that she had opened. Copeland also allegedly fraudulently obtained and diverted loan funds and used the credit and debit cards of this elderly victim. Finally, Copeland also allegedly engaged in a rental fraud scheme, purporting to link veterans with landlords, but then diverting rental and security deposit payments to her own benefit.

Copeland is charged with eight counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Copeland faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on the wire fraud charges and a mandatory consecutive term of two years on the aggravated identity theft charge. 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 Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Samuels 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-63.

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

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pleaded guilty today to an internet-based loan scam that cheated approximately 1,700 victims out of $1,287,000. He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to court documents, Ronald A. Smith, 59, and his wife and co-defendant Terri Beth Miller, 53, set up a company called Business Development Group. Business Development Group was an internet-based business that offered, in exchange for an advance fee, to assist individuals in preparing loan applications to obtain SBA-guaranteed loans. They solicited potential customers on the basis of false, fraudulent, and misleading statements and representations, including, among others, that the company was headquartered at the Trump Building in New York and had assisted well-known large companies in obtaining SBA loans. They offered a money-back guarantee, but in fact employed various fraudulent methods to deny refunds. Smith and Miller solicited approximately 1,700 customers, who paid an aggregate sum of about $1,287,000 in advance fees. The vast majority of these customers did not receive an SBA guaranteed loan. In fact, Smith did virtually nothing to even attempt to obtain loans for their customers. Smith was convicted for nearly the identical scam back in 2006 and received a seven year sentence.

In addition, Smith made a false application to the Virginia Employment Commission for unemployment benefits, including an additional $600 per week in federal pandemic unemployment compensation authorized under the CARES Act. He falsely stated that he was not the owner or operator of a business and that he had not received income from another source. As a result of his false statements, Smith received $9,600 in federal pandemic unemployment compensation to which he was not entitled.

Smith pleaded guilty to wire fraud, engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property, and fraud in connection with emergency benefits. He faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison when sentenced on April 2, 2021. 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 Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. 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-69.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 380 months in prison for sexually abusing a child.

“Child sexual abuse is heinous and causes incalculable and unknowable harm to survivors,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Sadly, this horrendous crime is likely to have personal and public reverberations for years to come. I want to thank and applaud our law enforcement partners and prosecutors for ensuring that this defendant will now be in a place where he cannot sexually abuse minors.”

According to court documents, in July or August of 2017, Jacob Earl Gilmore, 38, sexually abused a minor girl at St. Julian’s Creek Annex, a controlled Naval Facility and Gillmore’s place of work. During a weekend in July or August, Gillmore secreted the child onto the installation in the trunk of his car. Once on the installation, brought the child to his office and sexually abused her multiple times. During their investigation, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) learned that Gillmore had been escorting the girl on to St. Julian’s Creek Annex for years.

“This sentencing should serve as a warning that child sexual predators will always be exposed and rooted out,” said Gregory Scovel, NCIS Special Agent in Charge of the Norfolk Field Office. “NCIS remains committed to fully investigating all criminal threats to communities where our Department of the Navy family live and work.”

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, and Gregory Scovel, Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. 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. 2:19-cr-114.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Defendants Alexanda Amon Kotey, 36, and El Shafee Elsheikh, 32, two militant fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) charged for their alleged participation in a brutal hostage-taking scheme that resulted in the deaths of four American citizens, will next appear in federal court in Alexandria tomorrow.

Both defendants will appear via video link for their respective detention hearings at 11:30 a.m. EST. The hearings are open to the public and will occur in courtroom 1000 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa C. Buchanan. The hearings will also be available via public teleconference. The call-in information is below.

Public Teleconference Access Information for U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa C. Buchanan:

Teleconference #: 1-877-336-1829

Access Code: 7800850

Later tomorrow afternoon, both defendants will appear via video link for their respective arraignment hearings at 2 p.m. EST. The hearings are open to the public and will occur in courtroom 900 before Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. The hearings will also be available via public teleconference. The call-in information is below.

Public Teleconference Access Information for Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III:

Teleconference #: 1-888-398-2342

Access Code: 8324646 

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-239.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – United States Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger today announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), through its Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), has awarded over $8.6 million to fund efforts that combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“The scourge of human trafficking is the modern-day equivalent of slavery, brutally depriving victims of basic human rights and essential physical needs as it erodes their sense of dignity and self-worth,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice is relentless in its fight against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Working with state and local law enforcement and community victim service providers, we will continue to bring these criminals to justice and deliver critical aid to survivors.”

“Human trafficking is modern day slavery,” said Terwilliger. “As a former human trafficking prosecutor myself, I know firsthand that there is no more just prosecution than holding accountable those who would sell, sexually and physically exploit, and ultimately discard a human being. Thank you to the Department of Justice for supporting efforts here in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and to our critical partners in this all important fight to protect vulnerable individuals and hold traffickers accountable.”

Nationally, OVC awarded over $97.4 million to state, local and tribal jurisdictions, service providers and task forces all over the country, while OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded the remaining $3.5 million to support research and evaluation on human trafficking.

The below awards were issued to organizations here in Virginia:

Awardee

Program

Amount of Award

Office of Attorney General of Virginia

Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking

$525,352

Transitions Family Violence Services

Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking

$588,868

ICF Incorporated, LLC

Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking

$1,499,911

International Association of Chiefs of Police:

Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking

$2,500,000

National White Collar Crime Center

Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking

$1,000,000

Survivor Ventures

Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking

$498,546

Transitions Family Violence Services

Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking

$368,130

Virginia Department of Criminal Justice

Services for Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking

$1,684,000

“Human trafficking is a massive global enterprise with roots in cities and communities here in America and across the world,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is using all the resources at its disposal to help our state, local and tribal partners uncover and eradicate trafficking operations and help victims open the door to a new life.”

Grants awarded under fiscal year (FY) 2020 OVC programs aim to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to survivors of human trafficking. Specific programs:

• The Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking program awards over $22.7 million total.  OVC awards over $17.7 million to 27 programs to support the effectiveness of collaborative and multidisciplinary task forces to combat human trafficking.  The purpose of this program is to develop and strengthen programs for victims of human trafficking, including enhancing the capacity of law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify victims and provide justice for those victims through the investigation and prosecution of their traffickers.  OVC also awards nearly $5 million in grants to three organizations for training and technical assistance for the task forces. 

• The Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards over $35.1 million total to 73 organizations to provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs.  The grants will also provide funding to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment and receive occupational training and counseling.

• The Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking program awards over $4.2 million total to four recipients to integrate human trafficking policy and programming at the state or tribal level.  This program will enhance coordinated, multidisciplinary and statewide approaches to at-risk populations to improve outcomes for children and youth who are victims of human trafficking.

• The Preventing Trafficking of Girls program awards $1.8 million total to four organizations, including a training and technical assistance provider, to support prevention and early intervention services, including mentoring and other direct support services for girls who are at risk of or are victims of sex trafficking.

• The Services for Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking program gives over $6.8 million to four recipients to develop, expand and strengthen assistance programs for minor victims of sex trafficking.  Under this program, the funded states, tribes, and units of local government will provide (directly and through partnerships) an array of services that minor victims of human trafficking often require to address their need for safety, security, and healing.

• The Services for Minor Victims of Labor Trafficking program awards nearly $2 million total to three organizations to develop, expand, or strengthen victim service programs for minor victims of labor trafficking whose victimization occurred when they were under the age of 18.
• The Services for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards more than $23.6 million to 43 organizations to support services specific to victims of human trafficking.

• The Specialized Training and Technical Assistance on Housing for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards $643,163 total to deliver specialized training and technical assistance to victim service organizations to enhance their ability to provide appropriate housing for victims of human trafficking.

• OVC awards the Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Project continuation funding in the amount of $300,000 to increase access to quality educational and employment opportunities for survivors of human trafficking.

Grants awarded under FY 2020 NIJ programs aim to understand law enforcement practices with regard to preventing and responding to victims of trafficking. Specific programs:

• The Research and Evaluation of Trafficking in Persons program awards over $2.5 million total to four organizations to build upon research and evaluation efforts to better understand, prevent and respond to trafficking in persons in the United States.

• The Research on Law Enforcement Responses to Sex Trafficking of Minors program awards nearly $1 million to understand how law enforcement practices with regard to preventing and responding to the sex trafficking of minors have evolved since passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.  NIJ was specifically interested in understanding how widely law enforcement agencies have adopted practices based on the perspective that the minor is a victim rather than a delinquent and the challenges that agencies have faced in adopting such practices.

For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/ovchumantraffickingfactsheet.pdf. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.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.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Loudoun County man today on charges of producing and distributing child pornography.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Kevin Hewlett, 34, was a farrier, a craftsman who trims and shoes horses’ hooves. He was hired to be the farrier to a minor girl’s horses.

Hewlett began communicating with the minor girl regularly through text messages and social media applications. Then in August 2018, Hewlett recorded himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the minor in his bedroom. A few months later, in January 2019, Hewlett distributed the sexually explicit video of himself with the 16-year-old girl to the minor over the internet using Instagram.

Hewlett faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 26, 2021. 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 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, and Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the verdict.

This case was investigated by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, composed of FBI agents and local, state, and federal partners.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Smith III and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendelynn Bills 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-64.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two militant fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization, arrived here today in FBI custody on charges related to their alleged participation in a brutal hostage-taking scheme that resulted in the deaths of four American citizens, as well as the deaths of British and Japanese nationals, in Syria.

Former British citizens Alexanda Amon Kotey, 36, and El Shafee Elsheikh, 32, made their initial appearances here in federal court this evening in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa C. Buchanan.

The defendants were informed of the charges against them, provided court-appointed defense counsel, and remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals and held pending their next hearing.

The defendants are next scheduled to appear in federal court in Alexandria on Friday. They are each scheduled for a detention hearing at 11 a.m., and an arraignment at 2 p.m.

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-239.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two militant fighters for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization, are expected to arrive here today in FBI custody on charges related to their participation in a brutal hostage-taking scheme that resulted in the deaths of four American citizens, as well as the deaths of British and Japanese nationals, in Syria.

Former British citizens Alexanda Amon Kotey, 36, and El Shafee Elsheikh, 32, are expected to make their initial appearances here in federal court this afternoon.

“These charges are the product of many years of hard work in pursuit of justice for our citizens slain by ISIS,” said William P. Barr, Attorney General of the United States. “Although we cannot bring them back, we can and will seek justice for them, their families, and for all Americans. Our message to other terrorists around the world is this — if you harm Americans, you will face American arms on the battlefield or American law in our courtrooms. Either way, you will be pursued to the ends of the earth until justice is done.”

According to allegations in the indictment, from 2012 to 2015, Kotey, Elsheikh, Mohamed Emwazi (deceased), and a fourth British citizen (CC-1) currently incarcerated in Turkey, were ISIS fighters and participated in the abduction of American and European hostages in Syria. The men also allegedly engaged in a prolonged pattern of physical and psychological violence against the hostages, including against American citizens James Wright Foley, Kayla Jean Mueller, Steven Joel Sotloff, and Peter Edward Kassig. Due to their English accents and their history together in the United Kingdom, the four men were often referred to by hostages as “The Beatles.”

“Kotey and Elsheikh are alleged to have committed horrific crimes in support of ISIS, including hostage taking resulting in the deaths of four American citizens,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Their alleged acts have shattered the lives of four American families. What each of these families have sought more than anything else is for these defendants to have their day in court. Well, that day has come. While we cannot return their loved ones or undo the pain that these families face each day, we can do everything possible to ensure that the defendants are held accountable for their alleged savage actions.”

From August 2014 through October 2014, ISIS released videos depicting Emwazi’s barbaric beheadings of Foley, Sotloff, and British citizens David Haines and Alan Henning. In November 2014, ISIS released a video depicting the decapitated head of Kassig. In January 2015, ISIS released videos with images of two dead Japanese citizens.

“Today, we remember the victims, Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller, and their families who are forever affected by these senseless acts of violence,” said Christopher Wray, FBI Director. “These families have suffered with the painful loss of their loved ones at the hands of brutal killers; today’s charges demonstrate the FBI’s dedication and commitment to giving them the justice they deserve. We, along with our partners in the U.S. Government, remain steadfast in our duty to bring to justice those who have harmed our citizens — no matter where they are, and no matter how long it takes. I’m grateful to the men and women of the FBI, the victims’ families, and our domestic and international partners, for their tireless efforts to bring us to where we stand today with the prosecution of these men on U.S. soil.”

According to allegations in the indictment, Kotey, Elsheikh, and Emwazi worked closely with Abu Muhammed al-Adnani, a former leading commander of ISIS and chief media spokesperson. Until he was killed by the United States military in August 2016, Adnani reported directly to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former self-proclaimed leader of ISIS. Baghdadi was killed during a United States military operation in Syria in October 2019.

“The indictments of Alexanda Kotey and Elshafee Elsheikh are the result of more than eight years of tireless work by the FBI Washington Field Office and personnel across the U.S. Government and the international law enforcement community,” said James A. Dawson, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “These individuals allegedly conducted a litany of heinous and barbaric crimes as part of their duties as members of ISIS and for too long, the families of their victims have suffered while awaiting the day they would finally see justice for their loved ones. The men and women of the FBI remain dedicated to bringing the full force of the US justice system upon those who harm our citizens in furtherance of terrorism.”

According to allegations in the indictment, Kotey, Elsheikh, and Emwazi met repeatedly with Adnani concerning the hostage taking scheme and other matters. Between November 2012 and February 2015, Kotey, Elsheikh, Emwazi, and other ISIS fighters committed acts inflicting pain, suffering, cruelty and mistreatment on American, British, European, and other hostages in captivity, including murders; forced witnessing of murders; mock executions; shocks to the torso and extremities with an electric taser; and forced “rumbles” where all hostages were placed in a room and forced to fight one another, among others.

Throughout the captivity of the American hostages and others, Kotey, Elsheikh, and Emwazi allegedly supervised detention facilities holding hostages and were responsible for transferring hostages between detention facilities, in addition to engaging in a prolonged pattern of physical and psychological violence against hostages. From November 2013 to February 2015, Kotey and Elsheikh allegedly coordinated the Western-hostage ransom negotiations conducted by email. Kotey and Elsheikh knew and understood that the release of American and other hostages was conditioned on the transfer of large sums of money or concessions from the United States government, such as the release of Muslim prisoners. The email communications to the families of the American victims were written with clear English using British phrases and idioms, as well as other phrases and language used by Kotey and Elsheikh.

According to allegations in the indictment, on or about April 25, 2014, Kotey, Elsheikh, and Emwazi forcibly moved the Italian, Danish, and German citizens, along with two other European humanitarian aid workers, to an isolated area approximately two miles from their prison to witness the execution of Syrian prisoner. Kotey and Elsheikh knew and understood this execution was part of the hostage negotiation process. Emwazi executed the Syrian prisoner by shooting him in the back of the head and then numerous times in the torso as he fell into a grave. Kotey instructed the hostages to kneel at the side of the grave and witness the execution while holding handmade signs pleading for their release. Elsheikh videotaped the execution of the Syrian hostage, and after the execution the three men returned the European hostages to the prison with Elsheikh telling one hostage, “You’re next, [First name].”

The indictment alleges that ISIS fighters also forcibly seized the following individuals: Two United Kingdom citizens, an Italian citizen, a Danish citizen, a German citizen, four French citizens, three Spanish citizens, a New Zealand citizen, and a Russian citizen.

Kotey and Elsheikh were captured together in January 2018 by the Syrian Democratic Forces as they attempted to escape Syria for Turkey. Emwazi was killed in a United States military airstrike conducted in November 2015 in Syria.      

The American Victims

James Wright Foley – In November 2012, Kotey, Elsheikh, Emwazi, and other ISIS fighters forcibly seized and detained Foley, a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom. On or about Aug. 19, 2014, ISIS’s media center released a video depicting Emwazi beheading Foley.

Kayla Jean Mueller – In August 2013, ISIS fighters forcibly seized and detained Mueller in Syria. Beginning in or about October 2014, Baghdadi sexually abused Mueller against her will while she was held captive in Syria. On or about Feb. 7, 2015, Mueller’s family received an email from ISIS fighters confirming Mueller’s death in Syria.

Steven Joel Sotloff – In August 2013, ISIS fighters forcibly seized and detained Sotloff in Syria. On or about Sept. 2, 2014, ISIS’s media center released a video depicting Emwazi beheading Sotloff.

Peter Edward Kassig – In October 2013, ISIS fighters forcibly seized and detained Kassig in Syria. On or about Nov. 16, 2014, ISIS’s media center released a video depicting the decapitated head of Kassig.

Kotey and Elsheikh are each charged with conspiracy to commit hostage taking resulting in death; four counts of hostage taking resulting in death; conspiracy to murder United States citizens outside of the United States; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists — hostage taking and murder — resulting in death; and conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The Department of Justice expresses its profound appreciation to the United Kingdom government as well as the Syrian Democratic Forces for their dedicated commitment to assist the United States in seeking justice for all the victims of the alleged crimes.  

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs are providing assistance with this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis M. Fitzpatrick, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Gibbs and Aidan Taft Grano are handling the prosecution, with the assistance of Trial Attorney Alicia Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section (CTS) and CTS Deputy Chief Bridget Behling.

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-239.

An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two Chinese nationals involved in a $1.1 million fraud scheme involving gift cards, have both pleaded guilty and one has been sentenced for their respective roles in the conspiracy.

According to court documents, Yuchen Zhang, 23, of Manassas, and Shouming Sun, 41, of Herndon, were part of a wire fraud conspiracy in which members of the conspiracy contacted victims by telephone or through social media and assumed fictitious identities. The conspirators falsely claimed to be from the Internal Revenue Service or an employee of a financial institution, and falsely told victims they were entitled to money or under some form of immediate financial threat, such as having their personal identification information compromised by known criminals. The co-conspirators used these ruses and others to trick the victims into purchasing gift cards and then sending to them the gift cards’ redemption codes. The redemption codes allow the gift cards to be redeemed without being in possession of the physical card. Zhang, Sun and others then used the fraudulently obtained redemption codes to purchase goods totaling approximately $1.15 million.

Sun was sentenced today to seven months in prison.

Zhang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 10, 2021. 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; Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea and set the sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viviana Vasiu are prosecuting the cases.

This matter was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office's Transnational Organized Crime Task Force which is composed by FBI agents along with local, state, and federal partners. Significant investigative assistance was provided by the Fairfax County Police Department.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:20-cr-226 and Case No. 1:20-cr-113.

RICHMOND, Va. – A previously convicted felon was sentenced today to over 12 years in prison for his possession of a firearm and possession of distribution amounts of cocaine hydrochloride and cocaine base following a vehicular pursuit in the City of Richmond.

According to court documents, in October 2019, Shamel McLaughlin, 35, of Richmond, engaged Richmond Police Department (RPD) officers in a high-speed vehicular pursuit in a residential neighborhood in the City of Richmond. Upon stopping his vehicle, RPD officers apprehended McLaughlin after a brief foot pursuit. A search of McLaughlin revealed a baggie with 3.45 grams of cocaine hydrochloride and 15 grams of marijuana. Following McLaughlin’s arrest, RPD officers discovered inside his vehicle a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver, 17 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition, 2.49 grams of cocaine base, and small amounts of heroin and fentanyl

Based on his two prior drug distribution convictions, the Court sentenced McLaughlin as a career offender. 

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 U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik 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-16.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to four years in prison for possession of a firearm after being convicted of multiple felonies. 

According to court documents, Antonio Smith, 53, was observed by Richmond Police with two firearms after several previous convictions for felonies. In September 2019, Richmond Police were called to the scene of a domestic assault, and observed Smith on the front porch of the residence. Smith then quickly ran inside, only to emerge from the back door of the residence a few seconds later. Police asked Smith to stop, but he continued around the building and ran up to an occupied vehicle that was parked on the street. At that time, the police officer observed Smith toss two firearms into the vehicle. Smith was arrested at the scene and the firearms were recovered. At sentencing, Smith received an enhancement for reckless endangerment to the occupants of the vehicle.

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; and William C. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Duffey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Holli R. Wood, 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-14.

On Sept. 29, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia entered a final judgment and permanent injunction against Edward Snowden, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

In September 2019, the United States filed a lawsuit against Snowden, who published a book entitled Permanent Record in violation of the non-disclosure agreements he signed with both CIA and NSA. The lawsuit alleged that Snowden published his book without submitting it to the agencies for pre-publication review, in violation of his express obligations under the agreements he signed. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Snowden has given public speeches on intelligence-related matters, also in violation of his non-disclosure agreements.

The United States’ lawsuit did not seek to stop or restrict the publication or distribution of Permanent Record. Rather, under well-established Supreme Court precedent, Snepp v. United States, the government sought to recover all proceeds earned by Snowden because of his failure to submit his publication for pre-publication review in violation of his alleged contractual and fiduciary obligations.

In December 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, found in favor of the United States in the suit against Snowden on the issue of liability and held that Snowden breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the CIA and NSA by publishing Permanent Record and giving prepared remarks within the scope of his pre-publication review obligations, but reserved judgment on the scope of these violations or the remedies due to the government.  On Tuesday, the court entered judgment in the government’s favor in an amount exceeding $5.2 million and imposed a constructive trust for the benefit of the United States over those sums and any further monies, royalties, or other financial advantages derived by Snowden from Permanent Record and 56 specific speeches. 

“Edward Snowden violated his legal obligations to the United States, and therefore, his unlawful financial gains must be relinquished to the government,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen.  “As this case demonstrates, the Department of Justice will not overlook the wrongful actions of those who seek to betray the trust reposed in them and to personally profit from their access to classified national security information.”

“Intelligence information should protect our nation, not provide personal profit,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This judgment will ensure that Edward Snowden receives no monetary benefits from breaching the trust placed in him.”

“We will pursue those who take advantage of sensitive positions in government to profit from the classified information learned during their government service,” said Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division.

This lawsuit is separate from the criminal charges brought against Snowden for his alleged disclosures of classified information. This lawsuit is a civil action, and based solely on Snowden’s failure to comply with the clear pre-publication review obligations included in his signed non-disclosure agreements.

This matter is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On Tuesday, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia entered a final judgement and permanent injunction against Edward Snowden, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

“Edward Snowden violated his legal obligations to the United States, and therefore, his unlawful financial gains must be relinquished to the government,” said Jeffrey A. Rosen, Deputy Attorney General of the United States. “As this case demonstrates, the Department of Justice will not overlook the wrongful actions of those who seek to betray the trust reposed in them and to personally profit from their access to classified national security information.”

In September 2019, the United States filed a lawsuit against Snowden, who published a book entitled Permanent Record in violation of the non-disclosure agreements he signed with both CIA and NSA. The lawsuit alleged that Snowden published his book without submitting it to the agencies for pre-publication review, in violation of his express obligations under the agreements he signed. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Snowden has given public speeches on intelligence-related matters, also in violation of his non-disclosure agreements.

“Intelligence information should protect our nation, not provide personal profit,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This judgment will ensure that Edward Snowden receives no monetary benefits from breaching the trust placed in him.”

The United States’ lawsuit did not seek to stop or restrict the publication or distribution of Permanent Record. Rather, under well-established Supreme Court precedent, Snepp v. United States, the government sought to recover all proceeds earned by Snowden because of his failure to submit his publication for pre-publication review in violation of his alleged contractual and fiduciary obligations.

“We will pursue those who take advantage of sensitive positions in government to profit from the classified information learned during their government service,” said Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division.

In December 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia found in favor of the United States in the suit against Snowden on the issue of liability. The Court held that Snowden breached his contractual and fiduciary obligations to the CIA and NSA by publishing Permanent Record and giving prepared remarks within the scope of his pre-publication review obligations, but reserved judgment on the scope of these violations or the remedies due to the government.

On Tuesday, the Court entered judgment in the government’s favor in an amount exceeding $5.2 million and imposed a constructive trust for the benefit of the United States over those sums and any further monies, royalties, or other financial advantages derived by Snowden from Permanent Record and 56 specific speeches.

This lawsuit is separate from the criminal charges brought against Snowden for his alleged disclosures of classified information. This lawsuit is a civil action, and based solely on Snowden’s failure to comply with the clear pre-publication review obligations included in his signed non-disclosure agreements.

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

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

RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico County man was sentenced today to 26 years in prison for the armed robbery of two pharmacies in 2019.

According to court documents, Rashard Fraierson, 42, and co-defendant Robert Graham, 41, of Henrico County, robbed the Powhatan Drug Pharmacy, and the Bremo Pharmacy, in Henrico, in order to steal narcotics, including Oxycodone, Oxycontin, and other substances.

In the first robbery, in July 2019, Graham placed a false 911 call regarding a threat of an armed person at a local high school. As law enforcement was diverted, which was Graham’s and Fraierson’s intention, Graham and Fraierson entered Powhatan Drug Pharmacy, brandished a firearm, forcibly tied up the pharmacist using zip-ties, and robbed the pharmacy of various narcotics. Before they fled, the two men stole more than $33,000 worth of drugs. The second robbery occurred in November 2019, when they used the same techniques to rob the Bremo Pharmacy, and stole more than $20,000 worth of drugs.

Fraierson had been previously convicted for three felony drug trafficking crimes in 2002, 2003, and 2015, involving cocaine and heroin. 

Graham also pleaded guilty in the case and will be sentenced on October 9.

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, and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-29.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for discharging a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime.

According to court documents, Keith Earl Redman, 25, was a member of a Portsmouth-based cocaine and crack-trafficking conspiracy led by Charles Boomer, 44, of Portsmouth. This conspiracy was responsible for distributing wholesale amounts of cocaine and crack throughout Hampton Roads. Redman was the armed security for Boomer’s drug premises. Boomer was recently sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.

In September 2018, Redman engaged in a shootout with at least two masked gunmen trying to rob one of those drug premises. The residence was located across the street from a Portsmouth elementary school. Redman shot both gunmen in the legs and thwarted the robbery while sustaining minor injuries. Police officers arrived at the scene and stopped Boomer, Redman, and another co-conspirator as they were trying to flee in Redman’s girlfriend’s car.

During the police encounter, the officers saw that the co-conspirators were sitting on multiple bags of cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, thousands of dollars in cash, and the handgun Redman had used to shoot at the masked gunmen. The officers recovered even more drugs and drug-manufacturing materials, as well as dozens of spent shell casings, from inside and in front of the residence.

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

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Scott C. Burke, Acting Chief of Portsmouth Police; and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. 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-30.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Dinwiddie man pleaded guilty today to possession with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine.

According to court documents, in October 2019, Eric Darnell Royal, Jr., 23, traveled by himself to the Chula Gas Mart, located in Amelia. Upon arrival, Royal possessed a red bag around his waist that contained illegal narcotics and possessed a firearm inside his vehicle. Shortly after arriving, two individuals approached Royal, assaulted him, and ripped the red bag from his waist. A struggle ensued in the parking lot between Royal and the two men causing multiple plastic baggies to fall from the red bag onto the ground. Following the fight, Royal picked up the red bag and left the gas station. Law enforcement later recovered, on the ground in the parking lot, two clear plastic baggies with 342 purple oval unmarked tablets determined to be 76.49 grams of methamphetamine and 58.99 grams of marijuana.

An off-duty law enforcement officer who witnessed the fight followed Royal to a residence in Amelia County. The off-duty officer called Amelia County Sheriff Deputies for backup. Once arriving to the scene, the Amelia Deputies looked into Royal’s vehicle and in plain view observed a firearm and a red bag on the driver’s seat. After conferring with investigators who responded to the Chula Gas Mart scene about the fight and a potential shooting, the deputies applied for and obtained a state search warrant for Royal’s vehicle. Inside the vehicle, the officers recovered a Glock 9mm, Model 34, semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 17 rounds, a Glock 30 round magazine (empty), a red zippered bag containing: green leafy material, $200 in United States currency, and plastic baggies with 15.89 grams of methamphetamine purple powder, a variety of unspent ammunition, digital scales, a Glock 9mm magazine, and a Taurus magazine. 

In August, federal agents arrested Royal at his place of business, located in Chester. After determining that Royal’s vehicle was on the premises, federal agents observed in plain view a plastic vacuum sealed bag on the front seat with a substance consistent with marijuana residue inside. Federal agents applied for and obtained a federal search warrant for Royal’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed: a loaded Sig Sauer, Model P229, .40 caliber, semi-automatic pistol; a vacuum-sealed bag with marijuana residue; a digital scale; and marijuana.

Royal pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 2, 2021. 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 Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck 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-84.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An attorney, pharmacist, and sales representative have each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay or receive health care kickbacks.

“Health care fraud harms us all and steals valuable resources from those who are in need,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue to devote its resources and time to uncovering and detecting health care fraud and those individuals who put their greed above the interests of the public good.”

According to court documents, Daniel Tyler Walker, 50, of Lewes, Delaware, Michael Beatty, 53, of Pasadena, Maryland, and Seth Myers, 52, of Crystal Lake, Illinois, pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy where each defendant either paid or received money in an effort to induce or reward the referral of health care services payable by federal health care programs, including TRICARE, a health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families, Medicare, and Medicaid. In total, the related conspiracies involved millions of dollars of health care kickback payments.

“These pleas demonstrate what happens when medical professionals and those around them betray the public’s trust in the medical system to satisfy their own greed,” said Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division. “The abuse of the healthcare system can divert federal funds from where they are truly needed, which can put our most vulnerable citizens at risk. The FBI and its local, state and federal partners, are fully committed to identifying individuals who chose to prioritize their own interests in place of appropriate medical care for patients, and we will continue to work with our partners to bring them justice.”

According to court documents, Walker was a medical sales specialist for a pharmaceutical company headquartered in the Eastern District of Virginia. In connection with this role, Walker conspired with the owner of Royal Care Pharmacy to engage in a kickback scheme in which Walker received payments from Royal Care Pharmacy and its affiliate entities in exchange for referring and directing health care providers to have prescriptions for a drug manufactured by Walker's employer filled at Royal Care. Payments for those prescriptions were made in whole or in part under various federal health care programs, including TRICARE, Medicare, Virginia Medicaid, and Maryland Medicaid. Walker and his co-conspirators agreed that he would receive 25 percent of all net sales of the drug filled by Royal Care. During the conspiracy, Royal Care profited more than $1.2 million from the scheme, and in turn, Walker received at least $573,000 in kickbacks for his role in the fraud. As part of his plea agreement, Walker has agreed to forfeit $671,790 to the United States, which represents the proceeds that he received during the course of the conspiracy. 

Walker pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiracy to solicit and receive health care kickbacks. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 29, 2021.

“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of the U.S. military health care program to provide top quality medical care to America's Warfighters and their families, while ensuring that health care providers and facilities comply with Federal laws,” said Robert E. Craig Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Through joint investigations with our law enforcement partners, DCIS aggressively pursues criminal prosecutions and all available remedies to bring violators to justice. These guilty pleas demonstrate the effectiveness of our investigative efforts.”

According to court documents, Beatty was a pharmacist who practiced in Fallston, Maryland. Beatty, Seth Myers, and a physician who practiced in both Virginia and Maryland entered into a kickback arrangement in which Beatty agreed to pay a company controlled by the physician kickbacks in exchange for the physician referring prescriptions for very expensive compound drugs to Beatty and his pharmacy. Payments for these compound prescriptions were made in part by TRICARE. During the course of the conspiracy, TRICARE paid the co-conspirators a total of approximately $344,280. The pharmacy where Beatty worked made a net profit of approximately $295,782 from payments made by TRICARE for the compound prescriptions that were part of the kickback scheme. In turn, Beatty paid the physician controlled company approximately $147,891 in kickbacks.

“Compounded drugs can serve an important role for patients whose medical needs cannot be met by an FDA-approved drug product. Patients should always receive the medications they need to treat their condition, not medicines that bring financial benefits to the health care provider or pharmacist,” said Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge of FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who put profits above a patient’s health.”

Beatty also pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiracy to offer and pay health care kickbacks. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 15, 2021.

According to court documents, Myers was a licensed attorney who worked with a physician that practiced in Virginia and Maryland. Myers conspired with the physician to solicit kickback payments from the owner of multiple northern Virginia-based pharmacies, including Royal Care Pharmacy, and Michael Beatty, a pharmacist, in exchange for the physician referring prescriptions for very expensive compound drugs to the pharmacies. Payments for these compound prescriptions were made in part by TRICARE. During the course of the conspiracy, TRICARE paid the pharmacies approximately $4.8 million. In turn, the pharmacies paid Myers and his physician co-conspirator approximately $2.6 million in kickback payments. As part of his plea agreement, Myers has agreed to forfeit $428,124 to the United States, which represents the proceeds that he received during the conspiracy.

Myers pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to solicit and receive health care kickbacks. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 29, 2021.

The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Uzo Asonye, Monika Moore, Carina Cuellar, and Jamar K. Walker are prosecuting the 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-234, 1:20-cr-209, and 1:20-cr-235.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A New York man was sentenced today to 66 months in prison for his role in acquiring and using thousands of stolen payment card numbers, as well as other personal information.

According to court documents, from at least June 2016 through at least June 2019, Vladimir Michel, 34, of Brooklyn, and his co-conspirators committed various acts of fraud that resulted in at least $2.7 million in intended losses. One of the primary ways that Michel and his co-conspirators defrauded others was by obtaining and using thousands of stolen payment card numbers. Michel and his co-conspirators acquired and shared this account information by accessing illicit websites and using email and instant messaging platforms.

Michel and members of the conspiracy monetized the stolen payment cards they acquired by using the account information to purchase high-end merchandise and then re-sell it. For purchases at retail stores, the conspirators sometimes loaded the stolen payment card information into smartphones and paid for merchandise with their smartphones’ contactless payment features. Michel and his co-conspirators conducted fraudulent transactions across the United States, including at a number of retail stores in the Eastern District of Virginia.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Charles “Andy” Penn, Acting Chief of Police, Arlington County Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Berrang and Nathaniel Smith III prosecuted the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Fong also provided significant assistance in this prosecution.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-276.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Mexican national recently convicted of his third Driving Under the Influence charge within the previous two years pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States.

According to court documents, Rafael Nepamuceno-Hernandez, 29, first illegally entered the United States in August of 2009, when he was apprehended near the border by the U.S. Border Patrol. He was subsequently prosecuted for and convicted of illegally entering the United States. Five days after his removal to Mexico, Border Patrol Agents again apprehended Nepamuceno-Hernandez in the United States, and he was later again removed to Mexico. Sometime after this second removal, Nepamuceno-Hernandez again illegally reentered the United States, and eventually made his way to Virginia. While in Virginia, Nepamuceno-Hernandez was convicted of Driving Under the Influence on three separate occasions between November of 2018 and June of 2020. 

Nepamuceno-Hernandez pleaded guilty to illegal reentry, and faces a maximum penalty of two years years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 14, 2021. 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 Lyle Boelens, Acting Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne 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 Fairfax man pleaded guilty today to dealing in firearms without a license.

According to court documents, Davud Sungur, 20, has never had a federal firearms license. Beginning around March 2019 through March 2020, Sungur engaged in the business of dealing in firearms through the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms. Among the firearms that he sold and advertised for sale were homemade pistols devoid of serial numbers or other unique identifiers, commonly known as "ghost guns." Sungur explained to prospective customers that he charged a premium for such pistols because he made them, because they lacked serial numbers, and because they could not be linked to any previous criminal activities.

“Ghost guns appeal to criminals because they are untraceable,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “I want to be clear: If you engage in the business of selling firearms without a license or produce illegal firearms, you have a federal problem and will be held accountable.”

According to court documents, Sungur also sold weapons on multiple occasions to undercover detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department’s Organized Crime & Intelligence Bureau, who had learned he was selling firearms. Over the course of four separate transactions, he sold detectives more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, magazines, and numerous firearms – some of which were "ghost guns" – in exchange for cash. On two of these occasions, Sungur also sold detectives 3D-printed machine gun conversion devices that, after installation, enabled semi-automatic firearms to fire fully-automatically. Following his arrest, Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at his residence and discovered that he was in possession of additional materials and kits used to manufacture ghost guns, additional ammunition, additional magazines, a 3D printer, and an additional firearm.

“Not only was this defendant not licensed to sell firearms, but the weapons he sold were often illegally produced or obtained, and at times stripped of their serial numbers. This activity clearly indicates that the defendant was knowingly selling to individuals who could not legally possess a firearm, or may have been engaged in criminal activity,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division. “Today’s plea puts a needed end to the defendant’s reckless disregard for both the law and the consequences of selling illegal weapons.” 

Sungur pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on December 16. 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.

“Sungur manufactured and altered firearms to make them either untraceable or more dangerous, deliberately attempting to evade regulations intended to keep the public safe,” said Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigation’s Washington, D.C. Field Office. “Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners, he can no longer distribute and profit from his illicit firearms in our communities.”

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; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; 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 U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Blanchard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara A. Hallmark 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-162.

A Chinese national was sentenced today to five years in prison and ordered to forfeit more than $4.2 million for laundering drug proceeds generated by large-scale cocaine trafficking in the United States.

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; Special Agent in Charge Wendy C. Woolcock for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey T. Scott of DEA's Louisville, Kentucky Field Division; Chief Jason Crosby of the Criminal Investigations Division of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); and Special Agent in Charge James Gibbons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago, Illinois made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema for the Eastern District of Virginia.

According to court documents, Xueyong Wu, 40, cultivated relationships with Latin American drug trafficking organizations to transport and launder their United States-based drug proceeds. Much of this money was repatriated to Mexico through a complex series of international financial transactions. Wu received a percentage of the money involved in these transactions as compensation for organizing these laundering activities. Much of this money was generated through movement of cocaine or payment for cocaine that took place within the Eastern District of Virginia.

Trial Attorneys Steve Sola and Kerry Blackburn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary and David A. Peters prosecuted the case.

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.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Chinese national was sentenced today to five years in prison and ordered to forfeit more than $4.2 million for laundering drug proceeds generated by large-scale cocaine trafficking in the United States.

According to court documents, Xueyong Wu, 40, cultivated relationships with Latin American drug trafficking organizations to transport and launder their United States-based drug proceeds. Much of this money was repatriated to Mexico through a complex series of international financial transactions. Wu received a percentage of the money involved in these transactions as compensation for organizing these laundering activities. Much of this money was generated through movement of cocaine or payment for cocaine that took place within the Eastern District of Virginia.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wendy C. Woolcock, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division; Jeffrey T. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of DEA's Louisville, Kentucky Field Division; Jessica Moore, Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); and James Gibbons, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago, Illinois made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary and David A. Peters, along with Trial Attorneys Steve Sola and Kerry Blackburn of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section 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-15.

NORFOLK, Va. – A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 140 months in prison for his role in a cocaine-trafficking conspiracy targeting Virginia communities.

According to court documents, Razagin Kaseen Lee, 47, of Elizabeth City, was the cocaine source of supply for the family-run Jones Drug-Trafficking Organization based in Portsmouth. He was the last member of that organization to be sentenced.

Lee participated in this conspiracy for almost four years before he was caught. In September 2019, law enforcement officers searched his Elizabeth City residence and recovered more than 3.2 kilograms of cocaine, two 9mm handguns, more than $213,000 in cash, and two luxury vehicles, all of which are subject to forfeiture.

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; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police; Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr., Chief of Elizabeth City Police; and Tommy Wooten II, Pasquotank County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bird are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation High Tide, a proactive, large-scale narcotics trafficking and firearms investigation that focused on high-impact targets driving crime in some of the hardest hit neighborhoods in Hampton Roads.

This case is also 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.

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.

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-015.

Name, AKA

Age, Hometown

Pleaded Guilty to the Following Charge(s)

Sentence

Malcolm Dominique Jones,

aka “Big Malcolm”

45, Portsmouth

Drug-trafficking conspiracy; distributing heroin, fentanyl, and Acetyl fentanyl

22 years in prison

Corey Luther Jones,

 

50, Portsmouth

Drug-trafficking conspiracy; possessing firearms in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes (two counts)

20 years in prison

Malcolm Dominic Jones, Jr.,

aka “Little Malcolm”

25, Portsmouth

Drug-trafficking conspiracy

156 months in prison

Raewkon Akil Pierce,

aka “Ray Ray,”
“Ray Butter,” “Butter”

24, Portsmouth

Distributing cocaine

140 months in prison

Razagin Kaseen Lee

47, Elizabeth City, NC

Drug-trafficking conspiracy

140 months in prison

Domininc Donta Jones,

aka “Dom”

27, Portsmouth

Drug-trafficking conspiracy; possessing firearm in furtherance of drug-trafficking crime

120 months in prison

 

RICHMOND, Va. – A former Richmond City Public Schools elementary music teacher was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for producing images of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents, Kellen Thomas Donelson, 32, came to the attention of law enforcement in 2019 for uploading multiple images of child pornography via Snapchat and Kik Messenger. During a court-authorized search of his home and electronic devices in December 2019, law enforcement discovered additional images and videos of child sexual abuse.

According to the statement of facts, Donelson admitted that he produced several images and videos of child pornography using his personal cell phone, including with a victim as young as 4 years old.

Donelson was arrested on Dec. 5, 2019. At the time of his arrest, he was employed as an elementary school music teacher with Richmond City Public Schools and an Associate Minister/Music Director at Mount Hope Baptist Church.

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, 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 U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Elliker 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-55.

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment late yesterday charging two men with the armed robbery of multiple convenience stores in the Hampton Roads region.

According to the allegations in the indictment, Darrius Ford, 19, of Portsmouth, and Daniel Zeigler-Irizarry, Jr., 21, of Norfolk, robbed several convenience stores of cash and commercial products in the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake. Unbeknownst to Ford and Zeigler-Irizarry, during the final robbery, a tracker was embedded in the stolen money. Using the signal emitted from that tracker, Newport News Police located the defendants in a stolen vehicle and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Ford and Zeigler-Irizarry led police on a high-speed pursuit before crashing. Both were apprehended a short distance away from the scene of the crash. 

Ford and Zeigler-Irizarry, Jr. are charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by means of robbery, seven counts of interference and attempted interference with commerce by means of robbery, and six counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, Ford and Zeigler-Irizarry, Jr. face a mandatory minimum sentence of 42 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 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; Mark Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Angela Greene, Chief of Portsmouth Police; Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police; Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin G. Bird and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherrie S. Capotosto 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-87.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fredericksburg man pleaded guilty today to lying on an ATF form in the course of straw-purchasing seven firearms for a convicted felon and criminal street gang member.

According to court documents, following the recovery of a firearm by the Metropolitan Police Department that had been purchased just one week prior, ATF agents reviewed firearm transaction records and determined that Chad Thomas Lamph, 22, had purchased that firearm and numerous others from federal firearms licensees in December of 2019. For each firearm that he purchased, Lamph certified on ATF Form 4473 that he was the actual transferee / buyer. However, the ATF’s investigation revealed that Lamph had in fact purchased seven of those firearms on behalf of another individual he knew to be a convicted felon and criminal street gang member in exchange for money.

Lamph pleaded guilty to making a false statement with respect to information required to be kept in the records of a federal firearms licensee. Lamph faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison when sentenced on December 11. 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 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; and Peter Newsham, Chief of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John C. Blanchard and Ryan B. Bredemeier 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-225.

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Norfolk man yesterday on all counts charged against him—two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

“Demetrius McGregor has a long record of violent gun crime in Hampton Roads,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Serial violent felons who continue to arm themselves are major drivers of the gun crime that plagues our communities, and we will continue to prioritize cases like this one. Additionally, I would like to commend all those involved in this jury trial given the unique challenges posed by COVID-19. Despite the many challenges posed by trying a case during a pandemic, the entire criminal justice system worked together to ensure this defendant had his day in court in front of a jury of his peers.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Oct. 6, 2017, Demetrius Antwon McGregor, 35, was arrested on a warrant in front of his apartment by members of the Norfolk Police Department Fugitive Unit and a Deputy U.S. Marshal. They recovered a loaded Sig Sauer handgun from his waistband. McGregor is an 11-time convicted violent felon, with prior convictions for both malicious and unlawful wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, attempted robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery as well as four convictions for maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle.

“Firearms in the possession of a convicted felon are always a public safety concern, but especially so in the hands of a career criminal with nearly a dozen convictions for violent and lawless behavior,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division. “This conviction on all charges confirms that repeated, unlawful behavior will not be tolerated and we are grateful to U.S. Attorney Terwilliger and our law enforcement partners in Hampton Roads for this successful outcome.”

Investigators obtained a search warrant for McGregor’s apartment, where he was staying with his mother, and found in the bedroom closet 18 bags of cocaine, two assault rifles, one of which was loaded and had been reported stolen, four additional large-capacity magazines, dozens of rounds of .45 and 9mm caliber ammunition, and two digital scales. The investigators also recovered from under the bedroom mattress a Sig Saur .45 caliber magazine designed for the gun taken from his waistband, two additional digital scales sitting out in the open on top of a cabinet, and shoes that McGregor had previously photographed himself wearing and had posted on his Facebook page along with multiple photos of himself standing in front of his residence months before the arrest and search. The .45 caliber ammunition from the closet and in the magazine under the mattress matched the brand of the ammunition in the handgun recovered from McGregor.

“Law enforcement must continue to surgically remove those from the streets that plague our communities surrounding gun crime across Hampton Roads,” said Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police. “Additionally, we must not only target violent individuals, but we must also target those sources that afford violent felons to arm themselves in the first place, otherwise the measurable outcomes will be minimum.”

McGregor faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on Feb. 4, 2020. 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 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and Joseph E. DePadilla 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. 2:19-cr-34.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Prince William County man pleaded guilty today to 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. The defendants would obtain the fentanyl in Baltimore 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. Individual 1 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.

Slade pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and the distribution of fentanyl. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on December 9. 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; Mark Herring, Attorney General for Virginia; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karolina Klyuchnikova and Assistant U.S. Attorney 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-224.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Round Hill man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for his scheme to embezzle $7,957,750 from the United States government and a private hospital that was intended to settle claims by victims of medical malpractice, many of whom were children.

According to court documents, Joseph E. Gargan, 60, was the Chief Executive Officer of the Pension Company, Inc., an Arlington business that would execute settlement agreements entered into between civil litigants. Specifically, the Pension Company was hired to transfer money from civil defendants to plaintiffs and to purchase annuities on behalf of minor plaintiffs.   

The United States government entered into settlement agreements with plaintiffs in six separate matters. Many of these cases involved children who either claimed to be injured as a result of medical malpractice or who suffered the loss of a parent through alleged medical negligence that occurred at a hospital or clinic operated or insured by the federal government. The settlement agreements required the United States to pay the plaintiff a sum of money and to purchase an annuity on behalf of the injured child. From December 2015 to August 2019, the United States transferred a total of $15,925,000 to the Pension Company to purchase the annuities and execute the six settlement agreements. Gargan embezzled $6,925,000 of this money.

In addition, Gargan embezzled money from a hospital located in New York that was part of a civil settlement with a minor child. The settlement called for $3,825,000 to be paid by the hospital to a trust to pay for the care and ongoing medical treatment of the child. The settlement agreement also provided that a portion of the $3,825,000 be paid to a structured settlement broker who would then purchase an annuity which would generate future income for the trust. The Pension Company was retained as the structured settlement broker. From October 2018 to March 2020, the hospital paid the Pension Company a total of $1,032,750 to fund the purchase of an annuity on behalf of the trust. Gargan embezzled all $1,032,750.

In some cases, Gargan attempted to conceal his criminal activity by creating false documents purporting to show that he had purchased the annuities when, in fact, he had embezzled and converted that money to his own use. Gargan also made payments to the plaintiffs falsely claiming the payments were proceeds from an annuity, when, in fact, the payments were made only to conceal his criminal conduct.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Fitzpatrick 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-110.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to six years in prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiring to defraud over 20 financial institutions.

According to court documents, Chea S. Yarl, 31, was the leader of a conspiracy to defraud 20 banks located throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia for at least seven years. From 2013 through 2019, Yarl organized a card-cracking scheme in which he and at least four other individuals deposited counterfeit checks and other worthless financial instruments into hundreds of bank accounts and then quickly made cash withdrawals or purchased money orders with debit cards associated with the accounts. Yarl and his co-conspirators recruited hundreds of accountholders of different financial institutions to provide their debit cards and PINs in exchange for payment. Yarl then created counterfeit checks purportedly issued by 20 different financial institutions, which he and others acting at his direction then deposited into the accounts. These deposits fraudulently induced the targeted financial institutions to credit thousands of dollars to those accounts, which Yarl and others immediately withdrew. Between 2013 and 2019, Yarl and others deposited over 300 worthless checks and money orders totaling more than $1 million into over 200 compromised accounts and successfully withdrew at least $316,000 of the credited proceeds.

During the same period, Yarl used various other techniques to defraud individuals and companies of hundreds of thousands of dollars. In April 2019, Yarl and an unknown conspirator fraudulently accessed a retirement account belonging to a U.S. Postal Service employee and caused $108,000 to be transferred to a bank account controlled by Yarl. In November 2019, Yarl organized a business e-mail compromise scam to fraudulently induce a company to wire over $87,000 to a bank account controlled by Yarl and his co-conspirators and then successfully withdrew $60,000 of those funds.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Robert E. Bornstein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated by the FBI WFO's Transnational Organized Crime Task Force which is composed of FBI Agents, along with task force officers from local, state, and federal partners. This task force is charged with identifying and investigating the most egregious organized crime syndicates operating in Northern Virginia.  Significant investigative assistance was provided by the USPIS and Virginia State Police.

The FBI’s Cleveland Field Office provided significant assistance to this investigation.

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-49.