Eastern District of Virginia

NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and uttering counterfeit obligations.

According to court documents, Amaud Brown, aka “Moe Gunz,” 24, is a convicted felon and self-admitted leader of the Gangster Disciples who used four co-conspirators, including the mother of his child, to straw-purchase at least seven firearms for him. Two days after directing an associate to straw-purchase one of those guns, Brown called that gun store to inquire about purchasing more guns while police officers were at the store investigating the conspiracy.

Police officers executed a search warrant of Brown’s home and recovered two guns, dozens of rounds of ammunition, marijuana, and materials used to manufacture counterfeit money. Police later discovered that Brown had been using counterfeit “motion picture notes” to rip off at least five victims, including a Navy serviceman and a student at Christopher Newport University, defrauding them out of their electronic devices after meeting them through the “Letgo” electronic marketplace app.

Fraudsters have found so much success with motion picture notes that the total volume passed in the United States rose from $3.2 million in 2018 to $4.9 million this year, surpassing the Peruvian Note as the most passed counterfeit obligation in the country. U.S. Secret Service Agents in Los Angeles recently seized nine pallets of motion picture notes that had been shipped from Turkey—a total of roughly $286 million in counterfeit money. And pallets of motion picture notes shipped from Russia have been seized in New York ports.

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; George D. Purefoy, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Norfolk Resident Office; and Angela Greene, Chief of Portsmouth Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-85.

RICHMOND, Va. – A previously convicted felon pleaded guilty today to possessing a firearm with a high-capacity magazine.

According to court documents, in August, Richmond Police Department (RPD) officers observed Terrell Clarke-Conley, 22, of Richmond, as the passenger in a vehicle on a traffic stop at the intersection of Westwood Avenue and Chamberlayne Avenue in Richmond. After identifying Clarke-Conley as a wanted fugitive, he attempted to flee after RPD officers asked him to step out of the vehicle. Following a brief struggle, RPD officers recovered a Glock, Model 19X, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 19 rounds in a high-capacity magazine, in Clarke-Conley’s possession. At the time of his possession of the firearm, Clarke-Conley had previously been convicted of a felony.

Clarke-Conley pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 21, 2019.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and William C. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson 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. 3:19-cr-129.

Samsung Heavy Industries Company Limited (Samsung Heavy Industries), a South Korea-based engineering company that provides shipbuilding, offshore platform construction, and other construction and engineering services, has agreed to pay total penalties of more than $75 million to resolve the government’s investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) arising out of a scheme to pay millions of dollars in bribes to officials in Brazil.

Samsung Heavy Industries entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department in connection with a criminal information filed today in the Eastern District of Virginia charging the company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA.  The case is assigned to Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia.  Pursuant to its agreement with the Department, Samsung Heavy Industries has committed to pay a total criminal penalty of $75,481,600 – 50 percent ($37,740,800) of which will be paid to the United States within 10 business days of the deferred prosecution agreement and the remaining 50 percent ($37,740,800) of which will either be paid to Brazilian authorities pursuant to agreements between Samsung Heavy Industries and the Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU), Advogado-Geral da União (AGU) and Ministério Público Federal (MPF), or will be paid to the United States if at least $37,740,800 in payments are not made to the Brazilian authorities on or before Nov. 25, 2020.  In related proceedings in Brazil, Samsung Heavy Industries entered into a memorandum of understanding with the CGU and AGU and a complementary agreement for the negotiation of a leniency agreement with the MPF. 

“Samsung Heavy Industries paid millions of dollars to a Brazilian intermediary, knowing that some of that money would be used to bribe high-level executives at Petrobras and obtain a lucrative shipbuilding contract,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “Today’s resolution is yet one more example of the Department’s continued commitment to root out bribery and to work with our foreign counterparts to investigate schemes spanning multiple international jurisdictions.”

“Samsung Heavy Industries caused millions of dollars in corrupt bribe payments to be paid to foreign officials to win business, upsetting what should have been a level playing field for other companies that followed the rules,” said U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia.  “Effective corporate policies and procedures are necessary to ensure that corporations do not engage in foreign bribery.  We will continue to hold corporations accountable.”

“The FCPA encourages U.S. companies to fairly compete in an open, global marketplace,” said Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office. “Violations of the FCPA injure the integrity of our free economic system. Our agents work every day to uphold that economic integrity, and we urge anyone who suspects an FCPA violation to contact their local FBI Field Office.”

According to admissions by Samsung Heavy Industries, beginning in 2007 and continuing until 2013, the company conspired with others to violate the FCPA by corruptly providing  approximately $20 million in commission payments to a Brazilian intermediary, knowing that portions of the money would be paid as bribes to officials at Petrobras, the Brazilian state-owned oil and state-controlled energy company, in order to secure improper business advantages and to cause Petrobras to enter into a contract to charter a drill ship that Samsung Heavy Industries was selling to a Houston-based offshore oil drilling company, which facilitated Samsung Heavy Industries executing the sale of the drill ship.  Samsung Heavy Industries took actions in furtherance of the bribery conspiracy from its branch office located in the United States.

As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, Samsung Heavy Industries has agreed to continue to cooperate with the Department in any ongoing investigations and prosecutions relating to the conduct, including of individuals; to enhance its compliance program; and to report to the Department on the implementation of its enhanced compliance program.

In reaching the resolution with the Department, Samsung Heavy Industries received credit for its cooperation with the Department’s investigation and for taking remedial measures.  For example, the company made significant enhancements to its compliance program, including hiring additional compliance staff, implementing enhanced anti-corruption policies and heightened due diligence controls over third party vendors, instituting mandatory anti-corruption training and improving whistleblower policies and procedures.  The company did not receive full credit for its cooperation, however, due to its failure to meet reasonable deadlines imposed by the department and delays it caused in reaching a resolution.  Accordingly, the total criminal penalty reflects a 20 percent reduction off the bottom of the applicable United States Sentencing Guidelines fine range.

The case is being investigated by the FBI.  Trial Attorney Jonathan P. Robell, Acting Assistant Chief Andrew Gentin and Deputy Chief Brian R. Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

The MPF, CGU and AGU in Brazil provided significant assistance in this matter, as did law enforcement authorities in Monaco and Switzerland. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance as well.

The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.

ALEXANDRIA – Samsung Heavy Industries Company Limited (Samsung Heavy Industries), a South Korea-based engineering company that provides shipbuilding, offshore platform construction, and other construction and engineering services, has agreed to pay total penalties of more than $75 million to resolve the government’s investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) arising out of a scheme to pay millions of dollars in bribes to officials in Brazil.

Samsung Heavy Industries entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department in connection with a criminal information filed today in the Eastern District of Virginia charging the company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. The case is assigned to Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia. Pursuant to its agreement with the Department, Samsung Heavy Industries has committed to pay a total criminal penalty of $75,481,600 – 50 percent ($37,740,800) of which will be paid to the United States within 10 business days of the deferred prosecution agreement and the remaining 50 percent ($37,740,800) of which will either be paid to Brazilian authorities pursuant to agreements between Samsung Heavy Industries and the Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU), Advogado-Geral da União (AGU) and Ministério Público Federal (MPF), or will be paid to the United States if at least $37,740,800 in payments are not made to the Brazilian authorities on or before Nov. 25, 2020. In related proceedings in Brazil, Samsung Heavy Industries entered into a memorandum of understanding with the CGU and AGU and a complementary agreement for the negotiation of a leniency agreement with the MPF.

“Samsung Heavy Industries caused millions of dollars in corrupt bribe payments to be paid to foreign officials to win business, upsetting what should have been a level playing field for other companies that followed the rules,” said U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia. “Effective corporate policies and procedures are necessary to ensure that corporations do not engage in foreign bribery. We will continue to hold corporations accountable.”

“Samsung Heavy Industries paid millions of dollars to a Brazilian intermediary, knowing that some of that money would be used to bribe high-level executives at Petrobras and obtain a lucrative shipbuilding contract,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s resolution is yet one more example of the Department’s continued commitment to root out bribery and to work with our foreign counterparts to investigate schemes spanning multiple international jurisdictions.”

“The FCPA encourages U.S. companies to fairly compete in an open, global marketplace,” said Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office. “Violations of the FCPA injure the integrity of our free economic system. Our agents work every day to uphold that economic integrity, and we urge anyone who suspects an FCPA violation to contact their local FBI Field Office.”

According to admissions by Samsung Heavy Industries, beginning in 2007 and continuing until 2013, the company conspired with others to violate the FCPA by corruptly providing approximately $20 million in commission payments to a Brazilian intermediary, knowing that portions of the money would be paid as bribes to officials at Petrobras, the Brazilian state-owned oil and state-controlled energy company, in order to secure improper business advantages and to cause Petrobras to enter into a contract to charter a drill ship that Samsung Heavy Industries was selling to a Houston-based offshore oil drilling company, which facilitated Samsung Heavy Industries executing the sale of the drill ship. Samsung Heavy Industries took actions in furtherance of the bribery conspiracy from its branch office located in the United States.

As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, Samsung Heavy Industries has agreed to continue to cooperate with the Department in any ongoing investigations and prosecutions relating to the conduct, including of individuals; to enhance its compliance program; and to report to the Department on the implementation of its enhanced compliance program.

In reaching the resolution with the Department, Samsung Heavy Industries received credit for its cooperation with the Department’s investigation and for taking remedial measures. For example, the company made significant enhancements to its compliance program, including hiring additional compliance staff, implementing enhanced anti-corruption policies and heightened due diligence controls over third party vendors, instituting mandatory anti-corruption training and improving whistleblower policies and procedures. The company did not receive full credit for its cooperation, however, due to its failure to meet reasonable deadlines imposed by the department and delays it caused in reaching a resolution. Accordingly, the total criminal penalty reflects a 20 percent reduction off the bottom of the applicable United States Sentencing Guidelines fine range.

The case is being investigated by the FBI. Trial Attorney Jonathan P. Robell, Acting Assistant Chief Andrew Gentin and Deputy Chief Brian R. Young of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

The MPF, CGU and AGU in Brazil provided significant assistance in this matter, as did law enforcement authorities in Monaco and Switzerland. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance as well.

The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/foreign-corrupt-practices-act.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An MS-13 gang member was sentenced today to 38 months in prison for his role and participation in a violent gang-related assault of a victim with multiple bats.

Marlon Edgardo Huezo Rivera, aka “Oscuro,” 19, of Falls Church, a member or associate of the Chilangueras clique of MS-13 in Northern Virginia, is the final charged defendant to be sentenced in this case.

“This purpose of this senseless assault was to serve MS-13’s warped code of violence and overarching mission of instilling fear through violence,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Huezo Rivera’s conduct demonstrates his contempt for the law and his total disregard for the safety of the people who make up this community.”

According to court documents, Huezo Rivera and several other members and associates of MS-13 lured the victim to James Lee Park in Falls Church so that they could assault the victim. Rivera and other members and associates of MS-13 believed the victim was cooperating with law enforcement, falsely representing himself as a member of MS-13, and disparaging the Silvas clique of MS-13. After luring the victim to the park under false pretenses, Huezo Rivera, and approximately a dozen other members and associates of MS-13, beat the victim with bats, fists, and feet for approximately three minutes. As a result of the beating, the victim suffered multiple broken limbs and was hospitalized for several days.

"Today's sentencing shows how focused the Washington Field Office and its local, state and federal partners are in dismantling the MS-13 threat in the Capital Region," said Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office. "Huezo Rivera and his fellow gang members terrorized our community, but his sentencing today sends a clear message that violent criminals cannot evade the law. I would like to thank the FBI Special Agents, the prosecutors, and our local partners for their hard work on this case."

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas U. Murphy II, Cristina Stam, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shauna Hale prosecuted the case.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office's Safe Street/HIDTA Task Force - Northern Virginia with the Fairfax County Police.   This task force is composed of FBI Agents, along with Detectives from the Fairfax County Police, the Prince William County Police, the Loudon County Sheriff's Office, the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office, the Arlington County Police, the Herndon Police Department, the Leesburg Police Department, the Vienna Police Department, the Fairfax City Police, the Alexandria City Police, along with Agents from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Officers of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and works cooperatively with the USMS, ATF, the Falls Church Police Department, the Prince George's County Police, MPD and the Montgomery County Police.   This task force is charged with investigating, disrupting and dismantling MS-13 activity impacting the Capital Region.   

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-129.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) case officer was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for conspiring to communicate, deliver and transmit national defense information to the People’s Republic of China.

“As I stated at the time of the defendant’s admission of guilt, those Americans entrusted with our government’s most closely held secrets have a tremendous responsibility to safeguard that information,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Instead of embracing that responsibility and honoring his commitment to not disclose national defense information, Lee sold out his country, conspired to become a spy for a foreign government, and then repeatedly lied to investigators about his conduct. This prosecution and sentence should serve as a clear warning to others who are contemplating selling out to the highest bidder and capitalizing on their position of trust. My thanks to the prosecutors, agents and our intelligence community partners for their terrific work on this important case.”

According to court documents, Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 55, left the CIA in 2007 and began residing in Hong Kong. In April 2010, two Chinese intelligence officers (IOs) approached Lee and offered to pay him for national defense information he had acquired as a CIA case officer. The IOs also told Lee they had prepared for him a gift of $100,000 cash, and they offered to take care of him “for life” in exchange for his cooperation.

“In just over a year, we have convicted three Americans for committing espionage offenses on behalf of the Chinese government. Each has now received a sentence of at least a decade,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “Sadly, all three of them are former members of the U.S. Intelligence Community. These convictions and sentences should send a strong message to current and former security clearance holders: be aware that the Chinese government targets you - - and if you betray us, be aware that the Department of Justice will hold you accountable.”

Beginning sometime in May 2010 and continuing into at least 2011, Lee received requests for information, or taskings, from the Chinese IOs. The majority of the taskings asked Lee to reveal sensitive information about the CIA, including national defense information. On May 14, 2010, Lee made or caused to be made a cash deposit of $138,000 HKD (approximately $17,468 in USD) into his personal bank account in Hong Kong. This would be the first of hundreds of thousands of dollars (USD equivalent) in cash deposits Lee made or caused to be made into his personal HSBC account from May 2010 through December 2013.

“Lee betrayed his own country for greed and put his former colleagues at risk. The seriousness of his betrayal and crime is demonstrated by today's sentencing,” said Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who put our nation's security in danger to benefit our adversaries.  The US government will not stand by while the Chinese intelligence service targets our government employees for their gain and to the detriment of US national security.”

On May 26, 2010, Lee created on his laptop computer a document that described, among other things, certain locations to which the CIA would assign officers with certain identified experience, as well as the particular location and timeframe of a sensitive CIA operation. After Lee created this document, he transferred it from his laptop to a thumb drive. The document included national defense information of the United States that was classified at the Secret level.

In August 2012, the FBI conducted a court-authorized search of a hotel room in Honolulu, Hawaii registered in Lee’s name. The search revealed that Lee possessed the thumb drive within his personal luggage. The FBI forensically imaged the thumb drive and later located the document in the unallocated space of the thumb drive, meaning that it had been deleted. The search also revealed that Lee possessed a day planner and an address book that contained handwritten notes made by Lee that mostly related to his work as a CIA case officer prior to 2004. These notes included, among other things, intelligence provided by CIA assets, true names of assets, operational meeting locations and phone numbers, and information about covert facilities.

During 2012, Lee had a series of interviews with the CIA. Throughout these interviews, in response to questions about what the IOs had wanted from him, Lee intentionally failed to disclose that he had received taskings from them. In May 2013, the FBI conducted multiple interviews with Lee. During one of those interviews, Lee admitted that he had received taskings but stated that he had not kept the written requests because they would tend to incriminate him.

The FBI interviewers also confronted Lee with the sensitive document discovered on the thumb drive. Lee falsely denied that he possessed it, claimed not to know who created it, and denied knowing why it would have been on his computer. He also denied deleting the document. Approximately one week later, in another FBI interview, Lee admitted that he created the document in response to two taskings from the IOs and transferred it to a thumb drive. He also said he thought about giving it to the IOs but never did.

In a January 2018 interview with the FBI, Lee falsely denied that he ever kept any work-related notes at home. When shown a photocopy of the front covers of the day planner and address book described above, as well as a copy of his handwriting therein, Lee falsely denied that he possessed the notebooks while transiting through Hawaii in August 2012. Lee also falsely denied that either of the books contained notes from asset meetings but conceded that any such notes would be classified. Further, Lee falsely denied that he ever put the sensitive document on a thumb drive, notwithstanding the fact that he had admitted having done so when interviewed by FBI agents in May 2013. Finally, Lee also falsely told the interviewing agents that in drafting this document he was writing down things “more [like] a diary thing,” notwithstanding the fact that in May 2013 he had told FBI agents that he had created the document in response to two taskings from the Chinese IOs.

Lee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deliver national defense information to aid a foreign government on May 1.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Hammerstrom and Trial Attorney Adam L. Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Inayat Delawala.

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. 1:18-cr-89.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, on February 3, Richmond Police officers were conducting a routine patrol in Creighton Court when they observed Anthony Peters, 29, and another person, Gary Garrison, walking in the 2000 block of Creighton Road. The officers exited their vehicle to approach the individuals because they suspected them both to have been banned from Creighton Court by Richmond Revitalization and Housing Authority. While speaking with Peters and Garrison, the officers noticed a bulge in Peters’s waistband, and conducted a pat down of Peters. During the pat down, the officer immediately discovered the firearm and removed it from Peters. 

Peters was a five-time felon at the time that he possessed the firearm in Creighton Court. Law enforcement also found 3.5 grams of “crack” cocaine in Peter’s possession.

On November 1, Gary Garrison was sentenced to 8 years in prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon while in Creighton Court on another date.

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 Henry E. Hudson. 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. 3:19-cr-82.

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Suffolk man late yesterday on charges of assault with intent to commit murder and discharge of a firearm, stemming from an incident that took place on May 12 in the Great Dismal Swamp, a National Wildlife Refuge.

“But for the grace of god, the victim survived and was able to provide details about having been lured deep into the Dismal Swamp only to have his partner shoot him point-blank in the chest,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Attorney General Barr has made aggressive prosecution of this kind of gun violence a top priority, and we will continue to seek out and aggressively prosecute cases that involve this kind of senseless and wanton violence.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Maurice Lee, 26, had a tumultuous multi-year relationship with the victim, which escalated to the attempted murder in the Dismal Swamp. The defendant stopped by his parent’s home, retrieved a 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun loaded with hollow-point bullets, and hid it in his jacket pocket. He lured the victim deep into the Dismal Swamp on the premise of having a picnic, and after walking several miles onto Lynn Ditch Road, he pulled out the firearm and shot the victim in the chest, telling the victim, “you were disloyal.” Lee threatened to shoot the victim again in the head if he told anyone what happened. Lee eventually called 911.  When the dispatcher asked how the victim got shot, Lee said it was a “long story” and that he had been trying to shoot a bear. When first responders arrived on scene, Lee continued to claim that he accidently shot the victim because a bear was going to attack him. 

Lee faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on March 16, 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. For more about Project Guardian, please click here.

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.

In this case, the USAO utilized an expert witness from the FBI, who testified about the results of gunshot residue tests and concluded that the muzzle of the firearm had been shot 3 to 18 inches from the victim when the near-fatal shot was fired. Based on his examination, he was also able to determine that the shell casing recovered from the crime scene had been fired from the firearm used in the crime. 

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Martin Culbreath, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, Edward Grace, Acting Assistant Director of Law Enforcement for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Thomas E. Bennett, Chief of Suffolk Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Butler and Elizabeth M. Yusi 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-106.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for illegal reentering the United States following removal after a felony conviction.

According to court documents, Norman Rolando Medina Sanchez, 40, a citizen of Honduras, was removed from the United States in March 2009 after having illegally entered the country near Brownsville, Texas, in 2005. In January 2008, prior to his first removal, Medina Sanchez was arrested and subsequently convicted in Prince William County of two counts of statutory burglary and two counts of grand larceny, all felonies under Virginia law. Medina Sanchez illegally reentered the United States again in March 2010 near Carrizo, Texas. Medina Sanchez was convicted of a felony for reentering the country illegally and was removed again at taxpayer expense on July 4, 2014.  Later that same year, Medina Sanchez illegally reentered the United States without permission a third time near Brownsville, Texas.  

In August 2019, Medina Sanchez was the victim of a gang-related shooting by members of MS-13, who were motivated by Medina Sanchez’s membership in 18th Street, a rival criminal gang. Later that month, Medina Sanchez was arrested by federal authorities.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael 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. 1:19-cr-284.

Media Advisory -- Dr. Javaid Perwaiz Case Updates

CASE NAME: United States v. Javaid Perwaiz, Criminal Case No. 2:19-mj-594

COURT: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division

CASE SUMMARY: On November 7, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia filed a criminal complaint charging the defendant, Dr. Javaid Perwaiz, with one count of health care fraud and one count of making false statements relating to healthcare matters for conduct alleged to have occurred between 2010 and October 2019. According to allegations detailed in court documents, for nearly a decade, Dr. Perwaiz performed unnecessary gynecological surgeries on women – including hysterectomies, dilation & curettages, removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes, and others – on unsuspecting patients and submitted materially false, fraudulent, and fictitious claims to two health care benefit programs, seeking reimbursement for these surgeries.

CASE STATUS: The defendant was arrested and made his initial appearance in court on November 8. The court held a detention hearing on November 14, and ordered that the defendant be detained in custody pending further proceedings in the case.

PUBLIC OUTREACH: To ensure that members of the public, including current and former patients of Dr. Perwaiz, are informed of developments in this ongoing case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has established a page on its website, available at the following link: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/united-states-v-javaid-perwaiz. The website currently includes a copy of the criminal complaint and supporting affidavit summarizing the charges filed against the defendant.

In addition, the website includes the following guidance for current or former patients:

FBI TIPS: Current and former patients should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI or https://www.fbi.gov/tips if they would like to share information.

MEDICAL RECORDS: Current or former patients seeking a copy of their medical records should email: usavae.perwaiz.medical.records@usdoj.gov with their full name and dates of service.

Please Note: FBI is not in possession of all medical records maintained by Dr. Perwaiz’s practice.

The public is reminded that a criminal complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

NORFOLK, Va. – A former ‘American Idol’ contestant was sentenced today to 45 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to court documents, Antonella Maria Barba, 32, of Point Pleasant, New Jersey, was parked in downtown Norfolk at approximately 11:05 p.m. in October 2018, when she was approached by law enforcement. A dog handler screened Barba’s rental vehicle with a drug dog, which alerted on the vehicle. The canine officer searched Barba’s rental vehicle and discovered a closed shoebox in plain view on the front passenger floorboard. The officer opened the shoebox and discovered a plastic bag containing a large quantity of a white, rock-like substance. Barba subsequently admitted she had landed at Washington-Dulles at around 4:00 p.m. on a flight from Los Angeles, and that she rented a car there and drove to Norfolk. The substance seized from Barba’s rental car was submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Savannah Laboratory for forensic analysis, where a forensic scientist determined the substance to be fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, with a total weight of 830.9 grams.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.

The Norfolk Police Department, the Virginia Beach Police Department, as well as the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office and the Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office had active roles in 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. 2:18-cr-158-2.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth woman pleaded guilty today to being an illegal drug user in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Jaclyn Amanda Inge, 40, purchased two handguns from federally licensed gun dealers at gun shows. Before buying the guns, Inge completed a form 4473, and 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 more than a decade. And she illegally possessed those guns while being a drug user.

Based on evidence presented at trial, Inge was implicated in an armed robbery of Mac’s Reloads, a Federal Firearm Licensee and ammunition-reloading business located in Virginia Beach. At the time of the robbery, Inge worked at Mac’s Reloads, although she stopped showing up for work afterward. The robbery took place a few weeks after Inge purchased the guns, and the two robbers moonlighted as a hip-hop duo managed by Inge. The evidence also showed that Inge provided the robbers with inside information about Mac’s Reloads to help them rob the business. And the guns Inge purchased are believed to be the ones that the robbers used.

Inge faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 18, 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.

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 Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Muhr and William B. Jackson 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-90.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Two individuals were sentenced to prison yesterday for possessing two firearms while, and in the furtherance of, distributing cocaine.

Marcus Troy Moody, 30, of Suffolk, was sentenced to approximately 17 years in prison, while Latoya Patrice Carter, 29, of Hampton, was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

According to court documents, Moody and Carter were initially stopped by Newport News Police for a routine traffic violation at 3:42 in the morning on December 30, 2018. Police immediately smelled a strong odor of marijuana emitting from both the vehicle occupants and subsequently conducted a narcotics investigation. A lawful search of the vehicle and its occupants resulted in two loaded firearms – one with an extended magazine; an additional loaded magazine; a distribution amount of cocaine; narcotics packaging material; a digital scale; and approximately $3,913.30 in U.S. currency. 

A jury found the co-conspirators guilty on all counts charged: Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; and two counts of Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Moody, a prior felon, was also found guilty of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

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 sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen S. Taylor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:19-cr-51.

A Springfield, Virginia, man was sentenced today to 150 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for the attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and distribution of child pornography.   

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Fairfax County Chief of Police Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr. made the announcement. 

Monis Irfan, 21, a former substitute teacher and third-grade instructional assistant at two Fairfax County elementary schools, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the Eastern District of Virginia.  Irfan previously pleaded guilty on July 19, 2019. 

According to admissions that he made in connection with his guilty plea, in January 2019, Irfan began communicating online with an undercover Fairfax County police detective posing as the father of a seven-year-old child.  Irfan repeatedly told the detective that he was sexually interested in and active with children, and discussed his desire to perform graphic sexual acts on the detective’s fictitious child.  After several days of sending sexually explicit messages and images, Irfan drove to a predetermined location to meet the undercover detective and engage in sexual acts with the child.  Irfan was arrested at that time.  Additional investigation revealed that Irfan received and distributed child pornography videos depicting the sexual abuse of an infant over encrypted messaging apps on his mobile phone and also used his phone to record a video of himself engaging in sexually inappropriate behavior with a five-year-old child. 

The FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Fairfax County Police Department investigated the case.  Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya D. Song of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.      

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and 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.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former Fairfax County elementary school teacher’s assistant was sentenced today to 12 1/2 years in prison and 20 years of supervised release for the attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and distribution of child pornography.

“Irfan was an elementary school employee who was entrusted with teaching and protecting our community’s children,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “But he was also a wolf in sheep’s clothing looking to prey on the most vulnerable members of our society, and he undertook a horrific hunt for opportunities to sexually abuse children. Our office is committed to working closely with state, local and federal authorities to ferret out such sexual predators, and we commend our investigative partners for their work in this case.”

According to court documents, Monis Irfan, 21, of Springfield, a substitute teacher and third-grade instructional assistant at two Fairfax County elementary schools, began communicating online with an undercover Fairfax County police detective who was posing as the father of a seven-year-old child in January 2019. Irfan repeatedly told the detective that he was interested in and sexually active with children, and discussed his desire to perform graphic sexual acts on the detective’s fictitious child. After several days of sending sexually explicit messages and images, Irfan drove to a predetermined location to meet the undercover detective and engage in sexual acts with the child.  Irfan was arrested at that time. Additional investigation revealed that Irfan received and distributed child pornography videos depicting the sexual abuse of an infant over encrypted messaging apps on his mobile phone, and also used his phone to record a video of himself engaging in sexually inappropriate behavior with a five-year-old child.  

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya D. Song and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Clayman prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-120.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Hopewell man was sentenced today to nearly 15 years in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. 

According to court documents, Lorenzo Coleman, 41, was the leader and organizer of a multi-defendant drug trafficking ring that distributed cocaine into Hopewell and the surrounding areas. Coleman admitted that between 2013 and 2015, he conspired to distribute nearly 15 kilograms of cocaine. Coleman fled Virginia in July 2017, but was located by the U.S. Marshals Service last June and returned to Virginia. As part of his plea, Coleman has agreed to forfeit the sum of $500,000, which represents the proceeds of the crime to which he has pleaded guilty.  

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; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Colonel John F. Keohane, Chief of Hopewell Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Mastandrea-Miller 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. 3:17-cr-9.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced today to five years in prison for manufacturing and distributing anabolic steroids and money laundering.

According to court documents, John Russell Kestel, 38, ran an anabolic steroid manufacturing and distribution conspiracy for at least three years. Kestel imported raw steroid powders from China and manufactured them into consumable steroid products in a clandestine laboratory in the basement of his home in Alexandria. In addition to steroid products, Kestel concocted homemade versions of pharmaceutical drugs intended to counter the side effects of long-term steroid abuse.

Kestel then distributed his homemade steroid products through social media sites including Facebook. After confirming the interest of potential clients in a private Facebook group, Kestel would direct them to a password-protected website where they could place orders and make payments. 

Kestel utilized an elaborate money laundering scheme to conceal and disguise the nature of the proceeds of his steroid manufacturing and distribution operation. The money laundering scheme involved bank accounts that had been opened by the defendant in a multitude of names, including the names of real people known to the defendant and using their personally identifiable information.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Trigger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis M. Fitzpatick prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-244.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to nearly 51 years in prison for his leadership role in the armed robbery of the Mr. Fuel truck stop in Ruther Glen on May 8, 2010. 

According to court documents, in November 2008, Winston Sylvester Oliver II, 41, began planning the armed robbery of the Mr. Fuel truck stop located in Ruther Glen. As part of this planning phase, Oliver conducted physical surveillance of the location, devised getaway routes, identified surveillance cameras, and learned cash drop procedures of the business. 

In approximately May 2010, Oliver recruited his co-conspirator, Warren Harold Brown, to execute the robbery of the location. On May 8, 2010, Oliver drove Brown to the area of the Mr. Fuel truck stop, provided him with a firearm, and instructed him how to commit the robbery. Brown entered into the business and demanded money from the cashier. Due to the cashier’s inability to open the register, Brown fired a single warning shot in the direction of the cashier. Following Brown’s discharge of the firearm, a concerned citizen attempted to thwart the robbery by striking Brown in the head with beer bottles from the store refrigerator.  In response, Brown shot the concerned citizen four times, including in the head, groin, thigh, and buttocks. Oliver and Brown then fled the scene.  The concerned citizen survived the shooting.       

On Sept. 14, 2011, a federal jury convicted Oliver and Brown on all counts after a two-day trial. On January 19, 2012, Oliver was sentenced to 630 months in prison. Based on a subsequent legal ruling in United States v. Davis, 139 S. Ct. 2319 (2019), the district court dismissed a single count of the defendants’ superseding indictment and ordered a re-sentencing on Nov. 14, 2019. 

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, Tony Lippa, Jr., Caroline County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. 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. 3:11-cr-63.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that it has awarded more than $2.5 million in funding, through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), to combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Human trafficking, forced labor, and the sexual exploitation of both adults and children remains a top priority of this office, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute these serious crimes, which inflict mental, emotional, and physical harm on the victims involved,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “As a former human trafficking prosecutor myself, I know firsthand that there are no more righteous causes than combatting modern day slavery. Thank you to the Department of Justice for supporting our efforts and our critical partners in this all important fight to protect vulnerable individuals and hold traffickers accountable.”

On November 12, 2019, the Justice Department announced the awarding of over $100 million nationwide in grants issued by multiple OJP components, including the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), to victim services providers, human trafficking task forces, and jurisdictions all over the country. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, those grants totaled over $2.5 million in funds that were awarded to five organizations located or operating within the Eastern District of Virginia.

Under OVC’s Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Human Trafficking program, the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia (OAG) was awarded $354,621 to provide minor victims of trafficking with high-quality services that are developmentally appropriate and tailored for their individual needs. The Virginia Attorney General’s Office plays a leadership role in the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force—which includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and victim services providers—and OAG previously received funding in 2016 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to support those ongoing efforts.

Under OVC’s Direct Services to Support Victims of Human Trafficking program, the Justice Department awarded $839,055 to Samaritan House, Inc. and $497,958 to Safe Harbor to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to victims of all forms of trafficking.

Samaritan House, which is based in Virginia Beach, provides emergency and permanent housing, support services, and community outreach to victims of violence and homeless families in the Hampton Roads region. Funding from the OVC grant will allow Samaritan House to continue addressing the growing trafficking concerns in the Hampton Roads area, and to collaborate with the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force as its victim services provider. The grant will pay for direct services to support victims of sex and labor trafficking, such as emergency shelter, which is essential to help victims stabilize and succeed.

Safe Harbor, which is based in Richmond, provides support to those who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence, sexual violence, or human trafficking in Henrico County and the Greater Richmond region. Safe Harbor’s comprehensive program for victims of sex trafficking includes emergency and transitional shelter for adult female victims, case management, therapeutic counseling, addiction counseling, court advocacy, and a human trafficking hotline for those seeking services. Funding from the OVC grant will allow Safe Harbor to expand and centralize services for human trafficking victims by creating a community center for delivery of services, including case management and addiction counseling, to victims living outside Safe Harbor’s shelter program.

Under OVC’s Field-Generated Innovations in Assistance to Victims of Human Trafficking program, Survivor Ventures, Inc. will receive $900,000 to fill gaps and improve the victim service field’s response to human trafficking. Survivor Ventures, which is based in Norfolk, provides survivors of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation with the support and resources needed to attain economic empowerment, including the provision of safe shelter.

In addition, The Salvation Army was awarded $493,798 to provide integrated services for minor victims of human trafficking in both New York and Virginia.

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

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 130 months in prison for his role in the armed robbery of a local grocery store.

“No one buying groceries or simply doing their job at a grocery store should face this kind of horrific violence,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These crimes struck close to home, and the significant sentences handed down show that armed robbers who bring guns into places of business in Hampton Roads can expect to spend years in jail for that decision.”

According to court documents, Brennan K. Smith, 23, entered a Virginia Beach Harris Teeter store, identified the manager to two gunmen waiting outside, and gave them the go-ahead to enter the store and commit the robbery, during which one of the gunmen shot the manager when he did not immediately open the store’s safe. Smith also purchased firearms for members of the conspiracy, including for several who were legally barred from purchasing handguns for themselves.

Smith was part of a 10-person robbery crew that worked in at least six-man teams, including inside and outside look-outs, getaway drivers, and multiple gunmen. The robbery crew used police scanners to monitor law enforcement activity and earpieces to communicate with one another. The gunmen were in and out of the stores within minutes. Investigators were able to link most of the co-conspirators to a group of friends who attended Tallwood High School and lived in the College Park neighborhood of Virginia Beach.

Smith previously had pleaded guilty to conspiracy, robbery, and aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a robbery. He and the co-conspirators who were sentenced earlier this year have received a combined 130 years in prison for their roles in the crimes.

Defendant

Role

Sentence

Trevor Tisdale

Getaway driver at two robberies

100 months

Quayshawn Davidson

Gunman at one robbery (brandished)

108 months

Keonte Yorkshire

Outside lookout at two robberies; inside lookout at one robbery

 

150 months

Brandon Tisdale

Participated in all three robberies; outside lookout and getaway driver

154 months

Devonta Doyle

Participated in all three robberies; gunman at two robberies; discharged weapon at last robbery

212 months

Cato Battle

Participated in two robberies; gunman at one robbery

115 months

Monica Perkins

Inside lookout at one robbery

108 months

Willey Brooks

Supervisory role; inside lookout at one robbery.

216 months

Darrius Heuser-Whitaker

Gunman at two robberies

288 months

Brennan K. Smith

Inside lookout at one robbery

130 months

 

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, James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, and Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Butler and Andrew Bosse, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin G. Bird 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. 2:18-cr-177.

A Russian national made his initial appearance in federal court today on charges related to his alleged operation of two websites devoted to the facilitation of payment card fraud, computer hacking, and other crimes.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew S. Miller of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.

Aleksei Burkov, 29, arrived at Dulles International Airport this morning after being extradited from Israel.  The indictment unsealed today charges Burkov with wire fraud, access device fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud, computer intrusions, identity theft, and money laundering.  

According to court documents, Burkov allegedly ran a website called “Cardplanet” that sold payment card numbers (e.g., debit and credit cards) that had been stolen primarily through computer intrusions.  Many of the cards offered for sale belonged to U.S. citizens.  The stolen credit card data from more than 150,000 compromised payment cards was allegedly sold on Burkov’s site and has resulted in over $20 million in fraudulent purchases made on U.S. credit cards.

Additionally, Burkov allegedly ran another online Cybercrime Forum that served as an invite-only club where elite cybercriminals could meet and post in a secure location to plan various cybercrimes, to buy and sell stolen goods and services,  such as personal identifying information and malicious software, and offer criminal services, such as money laundering and hacking services.  As alleged in the indictment, to obtain membership in Burkov’s cybercrime forum, prospective members needed three existing members to “vouch” for their good reputation among cybercriminals and to provide a sum of money, normally $5,000, as insurance.  These measures allegedly were designed to keep law enforcement from accessing Burkov’s cybercrime forum and to ensure that members of the forum honored any deals made while conducting business on the forum.

Burkov was arrested at Ben-Gurion airport near Tel Aviv in December 2015.  An Israeli district court approved his extradition in 2017.  He was extradited yesterday after appeals to the Israeli Supreme Court and the Israeli High Court of Justice were denied. 

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Trial Attorney Laura Fong of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kellen S. Dwyer and Alexander P Berrang of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department extends it gratitude to the Government of Israel for making the extradition possible. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Israel.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Russian national made his initial appearance in federal court here today on charges related to his alleged operation of two websites devoted to the facilitation of payment card fraud, computer hacking, and other crimes.

Aleksei Burkov, 29, arrived at Dulles International Airport last night after being extradited from Israel. The indictment was unsealed today.  

According to court documents, Burkov allegedly ran a website called “Cardplanet” that sold payment card numbers (e.g., debit and credit cards) that had been stolen primarily through computer intrusions. Many of the cards offered for sale belonged to United States citizens. The stolen credit card data sold on Burkov’s site has resulted in over $20 million in fraudulent purchases made on United States credit cards.

Additionally, Burkov allegedly ran another website that served as an invite-only club where elite cybercriminals could advertise stolen goods, such as personal identifying information and malicious software, and criminal services, such as money laundering and hacking services. To obtain membership in Burkov’s cybercrime forum, prospective members needed three existing members to “vouch” for their good reputation among cybercriminals and to provide a sum of money, normally $5,000, as insurance. These measures were designed to keep law enforcement from accessing Burkov’s cybercrime forum and to ensure that members of the forum honored any deals made while conducting business on the forum.

Burkov was arrested at Ben-Gurion airport near Tel Aviv in December 2015. An Israeli district court approved his extradition in 2017. He was extradited yesterday after appeals to the Israeli Supreme Court and the Israeli High Court of Justice were denied.

Burkov is scheduled for a detention hearing on Friday at 2 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Alexandria.  

Burkov is charged with wire fraud, access device fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, access device fraud, computer intrusions, identity theft, and money laundering. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum of 80 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, Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Matthew S. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kellen S. Dwyer and Alexander P. Berrang are prosecuting the case, along with Trial Attorney Laura Fong of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

The Justice Department extends it gratitude to the Government of Israel for making the extradition possible. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Israel.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:15-cr-245.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for brandishing a firearm and carjacking the vehicle of a 73-year-old man in Richmond.

According to court records, on January 22, 2019, Gregory Garrison, 25, approached a man as he parked his car in the parking lot outside of his place of employment. Garrison held a firearm in his hand and demanded that the victim provide him the keys. The victim refused and began to walk away from Garrison. Garrison then grabbed the victim and wrestled him to the ground. While the two wrestled, the victim’s car keys fell to the ground and Garrison picked them up and stole the vehicle.

The vehicle broke down a few blocks away from where it was stolen, and police confronted Garrison as he was abandoning the broken-down vehicle. During a search incident to arrest, police officers found the firearm in Garrison’s possession and several small baggies of cocaine, which Garrison claimed was for personal use. Richmond Police drove the victim over to the location where officers had arrested Garrison. The victim identified the defendant as the person who fought with the victim and stole the victim’s vehicle.

Garrison’s brother, Gary Garrison, was sentenced to eight years in prison on November 1, 2019, for having possessed a firearm as a convicted felon in the Creighton Court area of Richmond. According to court records, Gary was the founder of the Closed Mouth Gang, a gang operating out of Creighton Court and to which Gary claimed his brother Gregory also belonged.

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, William C. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police, and David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. 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. 3:19-cr-65.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man pleaded guilty today to unlawfully prescribing Oxycodone and Tramadol to patients at a Richmond-area pain management practice.

According to court documents, Zeljko Stjepanovic, 58, was a doctor working in a pain management practice, initially in Fredericksburg and later in Henrico County. As part of his plea, Stjepanovic admitted that he wrote prescriptions for numerous patients without assessing the individual needs of those patients, and that his prescribing practices were outside the usual course of his professional practice and were without any legitimate medical purpose.

In addition, on at least two occasions, Stjepanovic prescribed Tramadol for Patient 1, but put the prescription in the name of Patient 2. Before the first instance, Stjepanovic notified both Patient 1 and Patient 2 that he knew what he was doing was illegal, but he proposed doing it nonetheless. On one of these occasions, Patient 1 was not even present when Stjepanovic wrote the Tramadol prescription. At no point did Stjepanovic or anyone working on his behalf ever obtain a medical history for Patient 1, conduct any physical examination or range of motion test for the patient, discuss causes of pain or what might alleviate it, consider any non-medicine based alternative treatments, or obtain or analyze any urine samples. Stjepanovic maintained no records for his treatment of Patient 1 on these two occasions.

On both of the occasions when Stjepanovic wrote a prescription for Patient 1 in the name of Patient 2, Stjepanovic also wrote a prescription for Oxycodone for Patient 2. As was the case with Patient 1, at no point did Stjepanovic or anyone working on his behalf ever obtain a medical history for Patient 2, conduct any physical examination or range of motion test for the patient, discuss causes of pain or what might alleviate it, consider any non-medicine based alternative treatments, or obtain or analyze any urine samples. Nonetheless, Stjepanovic falsely reported in his records for Patient 2 that he had done these things.

In addition, because Stjepanovic was concerned that writing prescriptions for Tramadol and Oxycodone for the same person might alert others to his scheme, he instructed Patient 2 what to tell the pharmacy if questioned about the two prescriptions.

Stjepanovic pleaded guilty to the unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances, specifically, Oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, and Tramadol, a Schedule IV controlled substance. He faces a maximum 20 years in prison when sentenced on February 24, 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Miller and Janet Jin Ah Lee are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-27.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man was sentenced today to over twelve months in prison for making false statements when acquiring firearms and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in January 2018, the Richmond Police Department (RPD) and Virginia State Police (VSP) confronted Jawuan House, 22, on suspicion that one of his associates stole a firearm from a vendor table at a gun show in Richmond. When VSP and RPD made contact with House, they found him in the company of Yamin Maxey. Law enforcement ultimately followed House to his vehicle in the parking lot in order to gain information to find the person who stole the firearm.

In the course of speaking with House and Maxey, law enforcement learned from Maxey that he had straw purchased two firearms for House at the gun show. House also purchased a third firearm, an AK pistol, at the gun show. When law enforcement searched House’s vehicle for those firearms, they found, in total, five firearms. Three of the firearms were purchased from the gun show, including the straw-purchased firearms, and two were previously purchased and belonged to House and an associate, Brian Samuels. Law enforcement also found in the trunk of the vehicle 40 grams of marijuana in two mason jars and a digital scale. House stated that he and his friends were using the marijuana at a party.

House’s case was related to a larger investigation into Brian Samuels, 21, and other members of the Black Disciples Gang in Henrico. According to court documents, Samuels sold 39 firearms to an undercover agent over the course of approximately four months in 2018. These firearms included multiple AK pistols, AR pistols, extended magazines with 30–60 round capacities, and stolen firearms. In February 2019, ATF and other assisting law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at Samuels’s home and located an additional 14 firearms, bringing the total to 53. Samuels forfeited all 53 firearms to the United States and was sentenced to five years in prison on June 24.

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, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, William C. Smith, Chief of Richmond Police, and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Janet Jin Ah Lee prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-46.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A member of the Atomwaffen Division, a white supremacist organization, pleaded guilty today to possessing firearms while being an unlawful drug user and making a false statement in order to illegally purchase a firearm.

“Marijuana and firearms are a potentially deadly mix,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “If you are a drug user, you are prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. Simple as that.”

According to court documents, in October 2017, Andrew Thomasberg, 21, of McLean, purchased a semiautomatic rifle and claimed to be the true purchaser. In fact, Thomasberg knew this statement was false and that he was purchasing the gun for a third party. He transferred that firearm to that third party after purchasing it. Thomasberg also possessed at least four firearms while unlawfully using controlled substances, including marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, and opium.

"Thomasburg lied in order to illegal purchase a firearm," said Timothy R Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office. "The FBI works with our partners to take criminals possessing illegal firearms off the streets to ensure a safer community for all citizens."

According to court documents and testimony, Thomasberg has association with white supremacist organizations, such as Vanguard America and Atomwaffen Division.

Thomasberg pleaded guilty to making a material false statement in relation to the purchase of a firearm and to possessing firearms while being an unlawful user of or addicted to controlled substances. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on Feb 28, 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr. 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. 1:19-cr-337.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Forestville, Maryland man pleaded guilty today to making false statements in order to illegally purchase firearms.

“Preventing the illegal purchase and sale of firearms is a top priority,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The defendant played a significant role in the trafficking of dozens of firearms from Virginia to Maryland and Washington, D.C., where they wound up in the hands of a convicted felon and presented a grave danger to our community.”

According to court documents, Juan Zimmerman, 26, used a fraudulently obtained Virginia identification card to purchase 35 firearms from various Federal Firearms Licensees throughout the Eastern District of Virginia between June and August 2018. After purchasing the firearms, Zimmerman transferred the firearms to others, including his cousin, who trafficked the firearms across state lines to Maryland and Washington, D.C. to other individuals. Three of the firearms Zimmerman illegally purchased have been recovered by law enforcement after being used in a number of violent crimes, including at least one homicide and one domestic violence shooting.

Zimmerman pleaded guilty to making false statements with respect to the purchase of firearms and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on February 21, 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 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 Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Murphy and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Trigger 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. 1:19-cr-265.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Farmville man was sentenced yesterday to nearly eight years in prison for the illegal possession of 40 firearms and 23,000 rounds of ammunition by an unlawful user of controlled substances.

“An armed drug user presents grave dangers to our community and to law enforcement officers sworn to protect us,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Robert Baldwin was in possession of numerous extremely deadly weapons, devices, and ammunition, and opened up his home to juveniles to use and abuse illicit drugs. Simply put, the combination of drug use and possession of firearms is a recipe for disaster.”

According to court documents, on April 23, 2018, officers of the Farmville Police Department and the Virginia State Police executed a search warrant at the residence of Robert Baldwin, 50, on complaints that he was regularly using that residence for the consumption of marijuana by himself, his juvenile son, and students at Longwood University. In addition to marijuana and smoking devices, officers also recovered three illegal firearms silencers, 23 rifles, eight shotguns, six semi-automatic pistols, three revolvers, various gun parts, an improvised explosive device, more than 23,000 rounds of ammunition, tactical armor, and radios and computer equipment belonging to the Virginia State Police.

On July 26, 2019, Baldwin pleaded guilty and admitted that he was an illegal drug user and that he knowingly possessed each of the seized firearms.

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 John A. Gibney, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Miller and Kenneth Simon prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-83.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Culpeper County man was sentenced yesterday to over six years in prison for cyberstalking, unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information, and aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, from February to April 2018, Satyasurya Sahas Thumma, 23, dated and had a sexual relationship with Victim 1. During their dating period, Victim 1 sent Thumma multiple nude photos of herself. In April 2018, Victim 1 broke up with Thumma, and after a failed effort to get Victim 1 back, Thumma began an unsettling cyber harassment campaign. Posing as an unknown person, Thumma began sending Victim 1 anonymous text messages via a messaging app that allows users to make text messages appear to come from numbers other than their actual cell phone number. He threatened to post her nude photos to the public, created a Snapchat account to post the nude photos online and invited many of her friends to join the account, and threatened to send the nude photos to Victim 1’s parents, which he eventually did.

Thumma’s relationship with Victim 2 started in the summer of 2018 after they met through an online dating site. Victim 2 also sent Thumma multiple nude photos and videos during the several months they dated. When Victim 2 broke up with Thumma, he used the same anonymizing messaging app that he used with Victim 1 to send harassing and disturbing texts to Victim 2 and her mother. Thumma manipulated Victim 2 with a conspiracy story purportedly involving violent individuals who were threatening him and who had hacked into his online accounts to steal Victim 2’s nude photos. He sent Victim 2 multiple emails from secure, overseas providers that included extortion demands, threats of death, and gruesome photos of women who were dead or being tortured. To add credibility to his violent conspiracy charade, Thumma included his own true phone number and email address on various messages to make it appear that “they” were threatening him as well.

In March 2019, Thumma was involved in a DUI accident in Richmond that resulted in him being transported by EMS to the hospital. While lying on a hospital bed wearing a gown that appeared to be spattered with some blood, Thumma feigned being unconscious and took a selfie photograph. Several hours after being released from the hospital, Thumma used the anonymous texting application to send his hospital selfie photo to Victim 2 and her mom with the message, “Ur next.” During Thumma’s harassment of Victim 2, he sent her nude photos to both her mom and dad, and to their family’s church email address. In addition, Thumma hacked into Victim 2’s Twitter account and sent approximately 30 messages containing her nude photos to her Twitter friends. He also hacked into her Facebook account and changed the password, and claimed in messages to Victim 2 that the violent conspirators were responsible for the Twitter and Facebook hacks.

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 John A. Gibney, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Hood prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-103.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An illegal alien from El Salvador, who recently was convicted in state court of taking indecent liberties with a child, pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States after he previously was deported in 2004.

“Carrero Alas illegally entered the United States, was deported at taxpayer expense, returned illegally a second time and recently was convicted of a sex offense against a minor who was in his care,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to make these cases a priority and will work closely with our local and state partners to not only promote the rule of law, but also protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”

According to court documents, Oscar Saul Carrero Alas, 37, a citizen of El Salvador, was removed from the United States in October 2004, after having illegally entered the country by crossing the Rio Grande River. Carrero Alas reentered the United States, again without permission, and he subsequently was arrested in Prince William County in January 2018 for violations of state law. In June 2019, Carrero Alas was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial or supervisory relationship, possession of cocaine, and obscene exhibition, all in violation of Virginia law.

Carrero Alas pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after removal and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison when sentenced on January 17, 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Smalky and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Grady 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. 1:19-cr-318.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced late yesterday to 24 years in prison for his role as a gunman at multiple armed robberies of local grocery stores.

According to court documents, Darrius Heuser-Whitaker, 20, a member of a Virginia Beach-based “line” of the Bloods street gang, was one of two masked gunmen who robbed a Virginia Beach Food Lion grocery store and attempted to rob a Harris Teeter grocery store, also in Virginia Beach. During the robberies, Heuser-Whitaker pushed a semi-automatic handgun into the backs of the store managers while demanding money from the stores’ safes.

Heuser-Whitaker and his nine co-conspirators worked in at least six-man teams for each robbery, which included inside and outside look-outs, getaway drivers, and two gunmen. The robbery crew used police scanners to monitor law enforcement activity and earpieces to communicate with one another. The gunmen were in and out of the stores within minutes.

In the final attempted robbery at the Harris Teeter store, the other masked gunman, Devonta Doyle, shot the manager after the manager was unable to open the safe. Heuser-Whitaker, Doyle, and others fled the scene and threw their shoes out of their getaway car in an area near Regent University. The FBI and Virginia Beach Police Department located the shoes and submitted them for DNA analysis, which tied one of the shoes to Heuser-Whitaker. Investigators were able to link most of the co-conspirators to a group of friends who attended Tallwood High School and lived in the College Park neighborhood of Virginia Beach.

Heuser-Whitaker was convicted on all counts after a jury trial in July 2019, and he is the next-to-last defendant to be sentenced in the case. He and the co-conspirators who were sentenced earlier this year have received a combined 120 years in prison for their roles in the crimes.

Defendant

Role Sentence

Trevor Tisdale

Getaway driver at two robberies

100 months

Quayshawn Davidson

Gunman at one robbery (brandished)

108 months

Keonte Yorkshire

Outside lookout at two robberies; inside lookout at one robbery

 

150 months

Brandon Tisdale

Participated in all three robberies; outside lookout and getaway driver

154 months

Devonta Doyle

Participated in all three robberies; gunman at two robberies; discharged weapon at last robbery

212 months

Cato Battle

Participated in two robberies; gunman at one robbery

115 months

Monica Perkins

Inside lookout at one robbery

108 months

Willey Brooks

Supervisory role; inside lookout at one robbery

216 months

 

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, James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, and Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Butler and Andrew Bosse and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin G. Bird 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. 2:18-cr-177.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton woman pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

According to court documents, Symphoni V. Wiggins, 38, mixed, prepared, and stored heroin and fentanyl in her home for a kilogram-weight drug distributor on the Peninsula from at least May until December 2018. Co-conspirators would pick up heroin and fentanyl at Wiggins’s house, then take that heroin and fentanyl and deal it to customers on the street, including other drug dealers. In communications with another co-conspirator, Wiggins boasted that she was “the master mixer.”

As part of her plea agreement, Wiggins also has agreed to a $159,000 forfeiture judgment.

Wiggins was charged by indictment along with 38 other defendants as part of Operation Cookout. The 106-count indictment alleges various offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, cocaine base, and fentanyl; conspiracy to launder money; felon in possession of a firearm; maintaining drug-involved premises; use of a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking; interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises; and illegal re-entry by a previously deported or removed alien.

The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Cookout. 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.

The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 28 HIDTAs, which include approximately 18 percent of all counties in the United States and 66 percent of the U.S. population.

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.

Wiggins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. She faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of forty years in prison when sentenced on March 20, 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jim Stitzel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter G. Osyf and Kevin P. Hudson 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. 4:19-cr-47.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Nigerian woman pleaded guilty today to leading a conspiracy to import more than five kilograms of cocaine, as well as to her role in a separate bank fraud scheme, and to making false statements relating to fraudulent claims submitted to Medicaid for reimbursement.

“Tammy Olaiya is a ‘triple threat’ of criminality – drug trafficker, a fraudster, and a liar,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Olaiya, a Nigerian immigrant who has spent the last two decades with the privilege of living in the United States as lawful permanent resident, clearly has zero respect for American laws pertaining to our borders, controlled substances, our financial system, or our health care system.”

According to court documents, Temitope Ayoni Olaiya, aka “Tammy”, 40, a Nigerian national residing in Hyattsville, Maryland, recruited men from the greater Washington, D.C. area to act as drug courier; i.e., to travel to foreign countries to obtain drugs to bring back into the United States.  Olaiya opened bank accounts in the couriers’ names, assisted them in obtaining passports and visas, and booked their travel arrangements. The couriers that Olaiya recruited traveled primarily to São Paulo, Brazil, where they picked up kilogram quantities of cocaine hidden in the lining of soft-sided briefcases or attaché cases. Altogether, law enforcement seized nearly seven kilograms of cocaine at three different U.S. airports from three separate couriers recruited by Olaiya.

“Every single Medicaid dollar is precious and must be carefully guarded,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Accordingly we will continue working with all our law enforcement partners to preserve these vital funds.”

In addition to the cocaine importation scheme, Olaiya also submitted falsified and fraudulent claims to the D.C. Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF), a health care benefit program funded by Medicaid. Olaiya worked as a personal care aide for various home health agencies in the Washington D.C. area, and in order to receive payment for services rendered, Olaiya was required to submit timesheets signed by her clients documenting the services rendered. Instead of submitting time sheets for time actually worked providing health care services, Olaiya recruited Medicaid recipients to act as her “patients” and to sign her falsified timesheets in return for a small amount of money as a kickback. On at least two occasions, Olaiya billed DHCF for home health services she claimed to have provided while she was out of the country.

Separate and apart from the cocaine importation and the home health services scheme, Olaiya also used her African goods business in Maryland to carry out a bank fraud. Olaiya used accounts with payment platforms Square and Stripe to make fraudulent charges on stolen credit card numbers. Between June and December 2017, Olaiya submitted, or caused to be submitted, $381,500 in fraudulent credit card charges to the Stripe account. Thereafter, Olaiya switched over to Square, and in the course of about two months, racked up more than $100,000 in fraudulent charges. When Square informed Olaiya that the true account holder had challenged the transaction, Olaiya created handwritten, falsified invoices documenting items purportedly purchased by the account holder, and provided the fake invoices to Square.

Olaiya pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine, bank fraud, and making false statements relating to health care matters. She faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison for the cocaine importation charge when sentenced on Feb. 28, 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 was prosecuted as part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation Girl From Ipanema. 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.

U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh is prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the DC Office of Inspector General provided significant assistance with the 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. 1:19-cr-294 and 1:19-cr-323.

NORFOLK, Va. – A New Jersey man was sentenced today to 34 months in prison for conspiring to purchase firearms in Virginia and traffic them to New Jersey for resale on the streets.

“Clifton Walston admitted to trafficking multiple firearms from Virginia to New Jersey,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to use federal firearms laws to prosecute straw purchasers and hold them accountable for their role in trafficking illegally purchased firearms. Every straw purchased firearm is a gun that can wind up in the hands of a prohibited person. I want to commend the ATF for their commitment to investigating these important cases.”

According to court documents, Clifton K. Walston, aka “Moosky,” 32, of Jersey City, arranged for Virginia residents to obtain and traffic firearms from Virginia to New Jersey and sell the firearms in New Jersey to New Jersey residents for a profit. None of the conspirators was licensed to conduct interstate firearm transactions.

“ATF will continue to work diligently to uncover and expose firearms trafficking schemes such as we saw in this case as part of its mission to combat violent crime,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division. “Gun traffickers are not simply committing paperwork violations.  These criminals put guns in the hands of serious criminals who pose a significant threat to the safety of our communities.  I’m incredibly proud of the outstanding investigative work put in by the agents and prosecutors to bring to justice these two criminals.”

In early October 2017, a Virginia associate contacted Walston and asked how to make some easy money. Walston knew that the associate was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing firearms, but still said that if the associate were to obtain firearms in Virginia, he would set the associate up with prospective buyers in New Jersey, where it is much more difficult to obtain firearms. The two would then profit from the resale.

Over the next several months, the two men conspired together to use a straw purchaser to traffick multiple firearms from Virginia to New Jersey, including at least one firearm that was recovered by law enforcement during a traffic stop.

Within weeks of that arrest, Walston ordered three more handguns and an extended magazine from the Virginia associate. However, ATF agents arrested the Virginia associate before he could engage in additional firearms trafficking.

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.

Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar announced the sentence. 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. 2:18-cr-183.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Minnesota couple with their roles in a sophisticated fraud scheme that primarily targeted elderly Americans.

According to court documents and allegations in the indictment, Chirag Janakbhai Choksi, 35, and his wife, Shachi Naishadh Majmudar, 35, were members of a criminal conspiracy who had members that impersonated law enforcement officials to trick and coerce victims into mailing and shipping cash to other conspiracy members by convincing the victims that it was in their best interests to do so.

These schemes generally start with “robocalls”, designed to create a sense of urgency with unsuspecting recipients. The messages typically tell the recipient that they have some sort of serious legal problem, and that if they do not immediately take a particular action demanded by the callers, then there will be drastic consequences, typically involving the arrest of the recipient, significant financial penalties, or cessation of government benefits. The fraudsters almost invariably instruct the call recipient that, in order to prevent these dire consequences, the recipients must pay money, by wire transfer or cash, to some purported government entity.

The conspiracy operated cells in multiple states, including New Jersey, California, Indiana, Texas, Illinois and Minnesota. In one particular alleged scheme, members of the conspiracy impersonated DEA agents and advised Victim 1 that a vehicle located near the southwest border contained cocaine and her bank information. The fraudsters then convinced Victim 1 to surrender half the cash in her bank accounts in good faith until a thorough investigation had been completed to clear her name of any criminal activity.

According to the indictment, Choksi used counterfeit driver’s licenses to identify himself when picking up cash shipments from victims, and then made multiple deposits of that cash into bank accounts controlled by conspiracy members. The indictment also alleges that Majmudar went to the online websites of FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service to track shipments of cash sent by victims, and made multiple deposits of victims’ cash into conspiracy-controlled bank accounts.

Choksi and Majmudar are both charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as one count of mail fraud. The maximum possible sentence for each of those charges is 20 years in prison. Choksi is also charged with aggravated identity theft, which provides for a mandatory minimum term of two years in prison that must run consecutive to any other sentence imposed. 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, Timothy M. Dunham, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Greg Weber, Chief of Eden Prairie Police, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hood 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. 3:19-cr-160.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman was sentenced yesterday to approximately seven years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and failure to appear in court for a sentencing hearing.

According to court documents, Banita Brandise Saffore, 34, and her mother, co-defendant Charlene Saffore Cannon, ran a tax preparation service in which they systematically filed returns for clients that contained false representations as to the clients’ Schedule C income, dependents, and education expenses in order to obtain inflated refunds. As early as 2011, they began filing tax fraudulent tax returns using stolen identities and pocketing the refunds in their entirety. 

In addition to the prison sentence, Saffore was also ordered to pay $169,227 in restitution to her victims.

Saffore pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and identity theft charges, but then failed to appear at her sentencing in September 2018. Two other defendants have been sentenced for charges related to this scheme:

  Name, Age

Hometown

Felony Conviction

Sentence

Charlene Saffore Cannon, 53

Richmond

Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft

36 months in prison

Sherin Lee Saffore, 60

Henrico

Making a False Personal Tax Return, Assisting in Preparation of False Tax Return

60 months of probation, nine months of home detention

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:18-cr-10, 3:18-cr-13, and 3:19-cr-003.

NORFOLK, Va. – An illegal alien with a recent conviction for sexually abusing a child pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States.

According to court documents, in May 2015, Juan Carlos Gomez-Guevara, 31, a Honduran national, was deported at taxpayer expense after being found illegally in the United States. In March, he was arrested by the Norfolk Police Department and charged with contribute to delinquency of a minor and sexual assault of a child. In September 2019, Gomez-Guevara was convicted in Norfolk Circuit Court of carnal knowledge of a child between 13 and 15 years of age.

Gomez-Guevara pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison when sentenced on February 5. 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 Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-61.

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

According to court documents, in February, Richmond Police encountered Gary Garrison, 25, trespassing in the Creighton Court area of Richmond. Officers were aware that Garrison was a felon and member of the “Closed Mouth Gang” (CMG), a gang based in Creighton Court. As officers approached in their patrol vehicle, they observed a bulge in Garrison’s jacket pocket as he tried to turn his body away from them. One of the officers exited the vehicle to approach Garrison when he began to flee. Officers made chase and apprehended Garrison, finding a stolen firearm in his jacket pocket. Following his arrest, Garrison admitted to having started CMG in 2016, and identified his brother, Gregory Garrison, as a member of the gang.

Approximately one week after Garrison was arrested, fellow gang members and brothers Todd Jones, Jr., and Tod’Quan Jones, shot an individual that they erroneously believed had alerted police to Garrison carrying the firearm. Prior to that shooting and while Garrison was in Richmond City Jail, Garrison called the Joneses and they discussed whether the shooting victim had caused Garrison’s arrest.  While still on the phone call, the Joneses told Garrison that they were looking at the victim right then. Garrison encouraged the men to shoot the victim in retaliation for Garrison’s arrest.

During the sentencing, the Court found that Garrison founded CMG and that he condoned the Joneses’ shooting the victim.

The Jones brothers have each been found guilty in state court of malicious wounding and gang participation relative to the shooting. Gregory Garrison pleaded guilty to carjacking on August 2, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12.

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

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and William C. Smith, Interim Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. 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. 3:19-cr-64.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge couple has pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking at least 26 firearms.

According to court documents, Cornelius Maurice King. Jr., 25, and Yeakain Yabu Koroma, 26, worked together to buy dozens of firearms and then resell them to third parties to turn a profit. In total, between January and June 2018, King and Koroma resold 26 firearms. Neither King nor Koroma were licensed to sell firearms.

Koroma pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of engaging in the dealing of firearms without a license and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 7, 2020. King pleaded guilty on October 18 to the same charge and will be sentenced on Jan. 31, 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 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 Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia T. Giles 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. 1:19-cr-315 and 1:19-cr-327.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Connecticut man pleaded guilty today to bringing more than a kilogram of cocaine into Virginia for local redistribution.

According to court documents, Jowie Ortiz Vazquez, 34, of Stamford, was the cocaine supplier for Derek Norman, a dealer in Woodbridge. Starting in and around early 2019, Ortiz Vazquez traveled from Connecticut to Virginia every three to four weeks to sell cocaine to Norman and other customers. In May, Ortiz Vazquez traveled to Norman’s residence for the purpose of conducting a 600-gram cocaine deal. After he was observed entering and then leaving Norman’s residence, law enforcement stopped Ortiz Vazquez’s vehicle and found him in possession of approximately one kilogram of cocaine, a money-counting machine, and over $23,000 in cash.

Ortiz Vazquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, and a maximum of 40 years when sentenced on Jan. 24, 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.

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 Barry M. Barnard, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Bibeane Metsch are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-311.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a former University of Virginia football player late yesterday of his role in a $10 million fraud scheme.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Merrill Robertson, Jr., 39, of Chesterfield, started Cavalier Union Investments, LLC, and Black Bull Wealth Management, LLC, with co-conspirator Sherman Carl Vaughn. From 2008-2016, Robertson and Vaughn solicited individuals to invest money in private investment funds that they managed, as well as distinct investment opportunities that they proposed. Robertson identified potential investors through various contacts; including contacts he developed playing football at Fork Union Military Academy, the University of Virginia, and in the National Football League, while Vaughn focused on developing investment opportunities.

Among other things, Robertson led investors to believe he was an experienced investment advisor, that his company was qualified to serve as a custodian of retirement accounts, that investor money was deposited into individual tax-deferred retirement accounts, and that investor money was secured by tangible cash-producing assets owned by his company.

As a result of this conspiracy, Robertson and Vaughn fraudulently obtained more than $10 million from over 60 investors, spending much of the money on their own personal living expenses, including mortgage and car payments, school tuitions, spa visits, restaurants, department stores, and vacations.

By 2015, Robertson and his partner had spent most of the money they collected from investors.  And Robertson was unable to raise new investor capital.  So Robertson approached Cavalier investors and other friends and offered to help them get loans in exchange for a portion of the loan proceeds.  Mr. Robertson and others then caused falsified loan applications to be submitted to various banks and credit unions on behalf of these individuals, which included false statements about the borrower’s personal financial status, the real purpose of the loan, and whether the loan was secured by collateral.  In doing so, Robertson and others obtained nearly $250,000 by submitting falsified loan applications to at least 5 financial institutions.

Robertson was convicted of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of 330 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 3, 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.

U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr., accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Lee Martin, Stephen E. Anthony, and Kenneth Simon are prosecuting the case.

The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS – Criminal Investigations investigated 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:16-cr-133.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C., man pleaded guilty today to supplying fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, to a D.C. government employee who was selling it to customers outside his government office.

According to court documents, Ronald Maxwell Gorham, 61, supplied fentanyl and heroin to Darrell Pope from at least March 2019 through September 24, when the two men were arrested. Gorham “fronted” the drugs to Pope at a cost of $80 or $85 per gram. Pope, in turn, sold the fentanyl or heroin back to his customers for $100 per gram and repaid Gorham with the proceeds. Gorham and Pope used coded language to talk about drugs, referring to heroin or fentanyl as jerseys, wings, or helmets. When the quality of drugs was not very good, Pope told Gorham that “the color of the paint” was no good, or that the “crabs” were no good and he needed “another bushel.”

Fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, is a Schedule II synthetic opioid that is often combined with heroin or other substances to increase potency or add an opioid effect to an otherwise non-opioid drug. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioid-related deaths have increased dramatically since 2013. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in 2018, 32,000 persons in the United States died from overdosing on synthetic opioids.

Gorham is charged with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 40 years when sentenced on Feb. 21, 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh is prosecuting the case.

The Prince William County Police Department provided significant assistance with this case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-320.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for making false statements to acquire firearms. 

According to court documents, between November 2018 and April 2019, Quayshawn Shymel Simmons, 29, of Baltimore, straw purchased 20 firearms from Federal Firearm Licensees in Virginia using a false address in Hampton and then transported the firearms to Washington, D.C. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington D.C. recovered five of the firearms Simmons purchased from other individuals, including a felon, a prohibited person, and/or individuals in possession of large quantities of illegal narcotics. The other firearms have not been recovered.

“Simmons’ criminal conduct perfectly encapsulates the dangerous problem of illegally purchased firearms being trafficked from Virginia,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This prosecution is part of our increased effort to thwart firearms trafficking from Virginia into Washington, D.C. and elsewhere. It should send a strong message to those who would come into Virginia to illegally purchase firearms – Don’t lie and buy for the other guy. You will be prosecuted.”

“Those who buy firearms in Virginia just to turn around and sell them illegally in Washington, D.C., as Simmons did here, are not simply committing paperwork violations,” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division. “They are placing firearms directly in the hands of persons prohibited from possessing them, often violent criminals who pose a significant threat to the safety of our communities. ATF is fully committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to swiftly identify and shut down illegal firearms trafficking such as this that would otherwise fuel the Iron Pipeline.” 

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 Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas U. Murphy II and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annie Zanobini prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-181.

A Richmond man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin in the Central Virginia region and making a false declaration to a federal Grand Jury.

According to court documents, from approximately 2015 through October 2017, Gregory Stacey, 38, participated in a multi-state heroin trafficking conspiracy. As part of the conspiracy, Stacey brokered multiple drug deals between a New York source of supply and two Central Virginia area drug dealers. In addition, Stacey arranged meetings between co-conspirators, assisted in the transportation of the New York source of supply to drug deals, assisted in the packaging of heroin, and distributed heroin on behalf of his co-conspirators. During the course of the conspiracy, Stacey distributed between one and three kilograms of heroin.     

In October 2017, the United States subpoenaed Stacey to testify before the federal Grand Jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. While under oath at the federal Grand Jury, Stacey made a false material declaration about his co-conspirator’s possession of heroin.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik S. Siebert and Peter S. Duffey prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-73.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former South Carolina high school teacher was sentenced today to six years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute child pornography.

According to court documents, Eric Michael Hartley, 37, of Fort Mill, used various internet applications, including Kik and Dropbox, to send and receive child pornography. One of the individuals with whom Hartley traded child pornography was Jeramy Routh, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute child pornography in May. Routh and Hartley discussed trading exploitative images of children, including infants and toddlers, and did in fact exchange images and videos as well as access to cloud based accounts of child psixornography.

On September 27, Routh was sentenced to 90 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.

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 Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Dougherty Russell 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. 1:19-cr-170. Information on Jeramy Routh’s case can be located on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-142.

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a former Sheriff of the City of Norfolk with defrauding the citizens of Norfolk through a bribery scheme.

According to allegations in the indictment, Robert McCabe, 61, who currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Gerard Boyle, 64, of Franklin, Tennessee, engaged in an illicit quid pro quo relationship while McCabe was the Sheriff of the City of Norfolk. During most of the time covered in the indictment, Boyle was the Chief Executive Officer of Correct Care Solutions, a company that he founded and which contracted with the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office to provide medical services to the inmates at the Norfolk City Jail. 

According to allegations in the indictment, between about January 2004 and December 2016, Boyle provided McCabe with cash, travel, a loan, entertainment, gift cards, personal gifts and campaign contributions, in exchange for official actions that favored Boyle’s company in connection with the medical services contract, including contract extensions and renewals, as well as inside bidding information.

The indictment also alleges that McCabe engaged in a similar illicit quid pro quo relationship with the unnamed Chief Executive Officer of a Louisiana-based company that provided food services management to the Norfolk City Jail.

McCabe is charged with eleven counts, including conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right, obtaining property under color of official right, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. Boyle is charged with six counts, including conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy to obtain property under color of official right, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Boyle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. 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 Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa E. O’Boyle, Alan M. Salsbury, and Randy C. Stoker 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-171.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

“Willie Hardy, Jr., has a significant and lengthy criminal history of violence,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “In addition to being convicted of murder, he has been convicted of multiple other violent offenses, including violence against women. This is precisely the type of criminal that needed the attention of federal law enforcement and significant time in prison. I have no doubt that Newport News is safer with Hardy off the streets and behind bars.”

According to court documents, Willie M. Hardy, Jr., 47, engaged in drug trafficking while armed and while on federal supervision. In May 2018, Newport News Police Department received information that Hardy was trafficking drugs while armed out of a residence in Newport News. At the time, Hardy was on federal supervision for a September 2009 federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and felon in possession of a firearm. In February 2018, Hardy stopped communicating with his probation officer, and a federal arrest warrant was issued for Hardy in March 2018. Based upon the information investigators received, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence in May 2018. After executing the search warrant, law enforcement recovered two firearms, marijuana and heroin from within the residence. Investigators interviewed Hardy, who confessed that he distributed marijuana and within the last five weeks had been middlemanning heroin. Hardy also admitted to receiving both firearms.

“This case demonstrates ATF’s commitment to supporting our law enforcement partners with investigative leads generated by our National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN),” said Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division. “This cutting edge technology matches ballistic evidence to crime scenes, helping law enforcement identify suspects and solve crimes much faster than is otherwise possible. Tools like NIBIN are crucial to the safety of our communities because they allow law enforcement to swiftly remove violent offenders like Hardy from our streets.”

While in custody on firearms and drug charges, Hardy attempted to obstruct justice by making jail calls to see if someone else who was not a felon would take responsibility for the firearm, and even contemplated having someone write an affidavit on his behalf.

After a four day jury trial, Hardy was convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan M. Cowles prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:18-cr-77.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Arlington political consultant who served as the treasurer of multiple Political Action Committees (PACs) pleaded guilty today to lying to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) about approximately $32,500 in payments of PAC money that he directed to himself and a close friend.

According to court documents, Scott Buchanan Mackenzie, 66, from 2011 through 2018, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, Mackenzie was the treasurer of approximately 52 PACs, including Conservative StrikeForce, Conservative Majority Fund, Tea Party Majority Fund and Conservative Majority SuperFund. In that role, Mackenzie was responsible for complying with campaign finance laws and regulations and for filing accurate disclosure reports with the FEC that detailed the PACs’ true income and expenditures.

Person A was a resident of Winchester, Virginia, who had a personal relationship with Mackenzie and with whom Mackenzie shared a joint bank account. Between October 2011 and June 2014, Mackenzie caused approximately $32,500 in payments to Person A from bank accounts belonging to Conservative StrikeForce, Conservative Majority Fund and Conservative Majority SuperFund.  Mackenzie falsely reported to the FEC that Person A received these payments for work that Person A had purportedly provided to Conservative StrikeForce and Conservative Majority Fund.  In fact, as Mackenzie knew, Person A—an umbrella retailer with no experience in political fundraising—did not provide any of the purported services to these PACs. The funds were deposited into the bank account that Mackenzie shared with Person A.

In addition, Mackenzie also made false statements to the FEC to conceal the unlawful use of funds raised by Conservative Majority Fund and Tea Party Majority Fund to pay at least $172,200 in legal fees that Conservative StrikeForce and affiliated companies had incurred from a civil lawsuit brought by a former gubernatorial candidate for Virginia.

Finally, Mackenzie admitted that he participated in a scheme to use conduits (also known as straw donors) to make contributions to candidates running for federal public office. Mackenzie used conduits to make these contributions in order to evade limits that federal law placed on individual campaign contributions, as well as prohibitions against corporate contributions.

As part of his guilty plea, Mackenzie agreed to pay $172,200 in restitution to victims of his scheme to illegally funnel money between PACs to pay legal fees. 

Mackenzie pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the FEC and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when sentenced on Feb. 21, 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian A. Benczkowski, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen and Trial Attorneys Bill Gullotta and John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) are prosecuting the case. Former PIN trial attorney Molly Gaston provided significant assistance in the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-309.

A Virginia political consultant who served as the treasurer of multiple Political Action Committees (PACs) pleaded guilty today to lying to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) about more than $32,000 in payments of PAC money that he directed to himself and a close friend.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Director in Charge Timothy R. Slater of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.

Scott Buchanan Mackenzie, 66, of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to the FEC before U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady of the Eastern District of Virginia.  A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 21, 2020, before Judge O’Grady.

According to admissions Mackenzie made in connection with his guilty plea, from 2011 through 2018, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, Mackenzie was the treasurer of approximately 52 PACs, including Conservative StrikeForce, Conservative Majority Fund, Tea Party Majority Fund and Conservative Majority SuperFund.  In that role, Mackenzie was responsible for complying with campaign finance laws and regulations and for filing accurate disclosure reports with the FEC that detailed the PACs’ true income and expenditures.

Person A was a resident of Winchester, Virginia, who had a personal relationship with Mackenzie and with whom Mackenzie shared a joint bank account.  Between October 2011 and June 2014, Mackenzie caused approximately $32,500 in payments to Person A from bank accounts belonging to Conservative StrikeForce, Conservative Majority Fund and Conservative Majority SuperFund.  Mackenzie falsely reported to the FEC that Person A received these payments for work that Person A had purportedly provided to Conservative StrikeForce and Conservative Majority Fund.  In fact, as Mackenzie knew, Person A—an umbrella retailer with no experience in political fundraising—did not provide any of the purported services to these PACs.  The funds were deposited into the bank account that Mackenzie shared with Person A.

In addition, Mackenzie also made false statements to the FEC to conceal the unlawful use of funds raised by Conservative Majority Fund and Tea Party Majority Fund to pay at least $172,200 in legal fees that Conservative StrikeForce and affiliated companies had incurred from a civil lawsuit brought by a former gubernatorial candidate for Virginia.

Finally, Mackenzie admitted that he participated in a scheme to use conduits (also known as straw donors) to make contributions to candidates running for federal public office.  Mackenzie used conduits to make these contributions in order to evade limits that federal law placed on individual campaign contributions, as well as prohibitions against corporate contributions.

As part of his guilty plea, Mackenzie agreed to pay $172,200 in restitution to victims of his scheme to illegally funnel money between PACs to pay legal fees. 

The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case.  Trial Attorneys Bill Gullotta and John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Pedersen of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.  Former PIN attorney Molly Gaston provided significant assistance in the case.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Norfolk man pleaded guilty today to the armed robbery of Sprint store in Colonial Heights and three separate instances of armed drug trafficking in Norfolk.

According to court documents, Tajh Rodgers, 29, admitting to working with an accomplice to commit a violent armed robbery of a Sprint Store in Colonial Heights in January. During the robbery, Rodgers and his co-conspirator ordered two employees to the back of the store at gunpoint, where the robbers forced them to lie on the floor. Due to a time-delay lock on the store’s safe, the robbers had to wait several minutes for the safe to open. While waiting, they attempted to tie up the employees and threatened to kill them if they attempted to notify the police. Soon thereafter, a customer entered the store, and the robbers let one of the employees go to assist the customer, along with a warning that he would be killed if he tried to alert the customer about the crime. Soon after the customer left, the time-delay lock on the safe opened, allowing the robbers to steal a number of new phones and electronics from the store. A total of 72 items valued at approximately $25,000 were stolen from the store. 

The investigation led to the identification of Rodgers as a suspect, and his connection to another drug trafficking investigation in Norfolk where he engaged in several armed drug transactions during which he sold fentanyl, crack cocaine, and firearms to cooperating sources. Specifically, on Dec. 13, 2018, Rodgers sold cocaine base, fentanyl, and a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver to cooperating sources. On January 3, he sold two bundles of fentanyl and a 9mm Springfield semi-automatic pistol to cooperating sources. During both drug transactions, Rodgers was armed with the same .40 caliber Ruger semi-automatic pistol that he carried during the armed robbery of the Sprint store. After identifying Rodgers as the robbery suspect, investigators obtained a search warrant for the location he was living at in Norfolk. During the search on January 10, officers recovered the .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, various items connected to the Sprint store robbery, and a number of items connected to Rodgers’ ongoing drug trafficking, including distribution quantities of fentanyl, marijuana, crack cocaine, and a plastic safe containing a digital scale with suspected narcotics residue and packaging material.

Rodgers pleaded guilty to robbery affecting commerce, using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a robbery, and three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. For the robbery offense, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. For the firearms charges, he faces a mandatory minimum of 22 years, and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on Jan. 9, 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; Colonel Jeffrey W. Faries, Chief of Colonial Heights Police; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gill, Kenneth Simon, and William B. Jackson are prosecuting the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:19-cr-111.