Eastern District of Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Sterling man who downloaded thousands of child pornography images and videos was sentenced today to five years in prison.

Stephen Thomas Crawford, 30, pleaded guilty on March 29 to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Crawford used a peer-to-peer file sharing network to download thousands of child pornography videos and images, including images and videos depicting pre-pubescent girls engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

This case is 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” for more information about Internet safety education.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel Smith III and Kellen S. Dwyer 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-32.

RICHMOND, Va. – The owner of Midlothian businesses Premier Consulting Services and Premier Credit Consultants was arrested this morning on federal fraud charges.

Timothy Scott Wenk, 50, of Chesterfield County, is charged with one count of wire fraud. According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Wenk operated several businesses, including of Premier Consulting Services, Capital Business Services and Premier Credit Consultants, which purported to offer a variety of financial services, including mortgage finance and credit repair services. The criminal complaint specifically alleges that Wenk defrauded a victim identified as “V.S.” of $5,496 related to a home the victim was to rent from Wenk but which the defendant never made available for rent. The affidavit further alleges that approximately 70 customers of his businesses have experienced losses of more than $750,000.

Wenk faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Adam S. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after Wenk’s initial appearance in federal court. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:17-mj-107.

A criminal complaint 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 made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon on charges of international parental kidnapping.

Federal agents with the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested Faical Chebbi, 45, of Accokeek, last night after he landed at Dulles International Airport. According to the court documents, in November 2011 Chebbi removed his two children, then ages 2 and 5, from the United States and took them to Tunisia in violation of the parental rights of the mother.

Chebbi faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine, if convicted. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Casey Owen Durst, Director of CBP’s Baltimore Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Haynes 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:11-mj-1015.

A criminal complaint 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 federal jury convicted a former information technology official with the Department of Commerce today of conspiracy to pay and receive bribes, and acceptance of bribes by a public official.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Raushi J. Conrad, 42, of Bristow, served as the Director of Systems Operation and Security within the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), a branch of the Department of Commerce. In that position, Conrad was designated to oversee and manage a project whereby computer files were transferred from an old BIS computer network that had been infected by a virus to a new, uninfected network. Conrad was also to ensure that the transferred files were free of viruses and, in some instances, retained the full functionality of the files that had resided on the old network.

“Conrad took bribes in exchange for official acts,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The contracting process should be one of integrity and fairness, and this case should send a strong message that public corruption will be vigorously prosecuted. I want to thank the trial team and our investigative partners for their outstanding work on this case.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, while serving as the project manager for the data migration project, Conrad solicited and received bribes from James Bedford, a local businessman, in return for steering a lucrative subcontract and contract to perform the data migration work to companies owned in whole or in part by Bedford. One of Bedford’s companies made $208,000 in payments to a restaurant business owned by Conrad, and many of these payments were concealed through false and fictitious invoices created by Conrad. The fake invoices made it appear that Conrad’s restaurant business had performed various services for Bedford’s company, when in fact no such services had ever been provided. Bedford’s company also arranged for various subcontractors to perform over $7,000 worth of free renovation work at Conrad’s residence. Bedford has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30 (see case number 1:16-cr-264).

“Raushi Conrad received bribes from a local businessman in return for steering a lucrative subcontract and contract to perform the data migration work to companies owned in whole or in party by the bribe payer,” said Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “Conrad, who served as the Director of Systems Operation and Security within the Bureau of Industry and Security, a branch of the Department of Commerce, received more than $200,000 in payments that were made to a restaurant business owned by him. The fake invoices made it appear that Conrad’s business had performed various services for the bribe payer’s company, when in fact no such services had ever been provided. Today’s verdict underscores the dedication of the FBI and our partners in pursuing and disrupting fraudulent acts against the government.”

Conrad faces a maximum of 20 years in prison when sentenced on September 8. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Duane E. Townsend, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General; and Robert E. Craig, Special Agent in Charge for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Burke and Jamar K. Walker are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-169.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty today to felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in July 2016, the Richmond Police found John Thomas Lewis, III, 25, in a vehicle parked outside a Richmond residence with two loaded firearms, one of which had been reported stolen, two boxes of ammunition, and 12.6 grams of heroin. As a previously convicted felon, Lewis was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Later, in December 2016, Lewis was arrested on an outstanding warrant and was found to be in possession of distribution quantities of heroin, cocaine, Xanax, and Dibutylone.

Lewis pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute heroin. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on September 15. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Alfred Durham, Chief of Richmond Police; and Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Hood and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey E. Rohrs 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 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-144.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former employee of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security pleaded guilty today to defrauding the government of approximately $198,000 in funds paid under the Federal Employee’s Compensation Act (FECA), commonly referred to as workers’ compensation.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, James Cason Overton, 38, of Newport News, was injured in work-related training in August 2011, just months after the U.S. Department of State hired him. The U.S. Department of Labor, the administrator of FECA benefits, determined Overton was entitled to a monthly benefit equal to 75% of his salary, resulting in monthly payments between September 2011 and March 2016 totaling $198,633.67. During that timeframe, Overton answered questions about his earnings and employment on four different U.S. Department of Labor questionnaires, reporting a total of only $2,330 in earnings. According to the statement of facts, Overton knew that he made false statements about his earnings and employment on each questionnaire because he omitted from the questionnaires that he was the president and majority owner of a company identified in court documents as COMPANY A. During the time Overton was paid FECA benefits, COMPANY A received approximately $260,000 in government contracts, including contracts from the U.S. Department of State, exceeded $2,078,219 in gross profits, and Overton was personally paid approximately $370,000 in salary or other earnings.

According to the plea agreement, Overton agreed to restitution and forfeiture for the entire amount of the FECA benefits he fraudulently received. He also agreed to pay $3,650 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Education because, according to the statement of facts, he made false statements about his income that led to his receipt of Federal Pell Grants at a university he attended.

Overton pleaded guilty to theft of government funds, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on September 22. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Steve A. Linick, Inspector General for the Department of State; Aaron R. Jordan, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian D. Harrison 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-107.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former employee of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security pleaded guilty today to defrauding the government of approximately $198,000 in funds paid under the Federal Employee’s Compensation Act (FECA), commonly referred to as workers’ compensation.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, James Cason Overton, 38, of Newport News, was injured in work-related training in August 2011, just months after the U.S. Department of State hired him. The U.S. Department of Labor, the administrator of FECA benefits, determined Overton was entitled to a monthly benefit equal to 75% of his salary, resulting in monthly payments between September 2011 and March 2016 totaling $198,633.67. During that timeframe, Overton answered questions about his earnings and employment on four different U.S. Department of Labor questionnaires, reporting a total of only $2,330 in earnings. According to the statement of facts, Overton knew that he made false statements about his earnings and employment on each questionnaire because he omitted from the questionnaires that he was the president and majority owner of a company identified in court documents as COMPANY A. During the time Overton was paid FECA benefits, COMPANY A received approximately $260,000 in government contracts, including contracts from the U.S. Department of State, exceeded $2,078,219 in gross profits, and Overton was personally paid approximately $370,000 in salary or other earnings.

According to the plea agreement, Overton agreed to restitution and forfeiture for the entire amount of the FECA benefits he fraudulently received. He also agreed to pay $3,650 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Education because, according to the statement of facts, he made false statements about his income that led to his receipt of Federal Pell Grants at a university he attended.

Overton pleaded guilty to theft of government funds, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on September 22. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Steve A. Linick, Inspector General for the Department of State; Aaron R. Jordan, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian D. Harrison 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-107.

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Chesapeake man with receipt and possession of child pornography.

According to court records, Gerald Porter, 70, of Chesapeake, was identified by two different law enforcement agencies during undercover investigations into peer-to-peer file-sharing network users sharing child pornography. Both agencies downloaded numerous files of child pornography from Porter’s computer. Porter was also a bible-school teacher for a local church.

Porter has been charged with receipt and possession of child pornography, and faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi is prosecuting the case.

This case is 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” for more information about Internet safety education.

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. 2:17-cr-93.

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. – Bernardo Eugene Ford, Jr., 26, of Woodbridge, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for his role in the armed robbery and murder of a drug dealer in Falls Church.

A federal jury convicted Ford on March 9. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Feb. 23, 2016, Ford and a co-conspirator went to the victim’s apartment in Falls Church, intending to rob the victim of his drugs and drug proceeds. When the drug dealer resisted, Ford and his co-conspirator hit him in the head with a firearm, and then shot him, first in the arm and then in the back as he attempted to flee, severing his spine. Ford and his co-conspirator then fled, taking with them one of the victim’s iPhones.

Telephone records introduced by the prosecution showed Ford’s and the victim’s phones contacting the same cell phone tower minutes after the murder and approximately two miles away from the victim’s apartment. Ford’s Facebook records contained communications in which he discussed with two different persons his intention to rob drug dealers. Cartridge casings and bullets recovered from the apartment were fired from two different semi-automatic handguns, leading to the conclusion that two persons were involved in committing the crime.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Rich and Carina A. Cuellar are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-149.

A Weed, California man was sentenced to 218 months in prison for conspiracy to produce child pornography based on his participation in a website that was operated for the purpose of coercing and enticing minors as young as eight years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct on web camera.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia; and Section Chief John J. Brosnan of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section (VCACS) made the announcement.

Jeffery Van Dyke, 46, was charged on April 4, 2016, and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia on March 10, 2017.

According to admissions made in connection with the plea agreement, members of the conspiracy created false profiles on social networking sites popular with children posing as young teenagers to lure children to two websites they controlled. Once on the conspirators’ websites, Van Dyke admitted that members of the conspiracy showed the children pre-recorded videos of prior minor victims, often engaging in sexually explicit conduct, to make the new victims think that they were chatting with another minor.

Van Dyke further admitted that conspirators used these videos to coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit activity on their own web cameras, which could be viewed live by other members without the victim’s knowledge and which the website automatically recorded and made available for download later. Van Dyke admitted that he linked minors to one of the websites and chatted with them there in furtherance of the conspiracy. The defendant also admitted that one of the websites ranked the efforts of the members to successfully coerce and entice children to engage in sexually explicit conduct on live web camera. Law enforcement agencies have disabled both websites.

Van Dyke’s sentence will be followed by 15 years of supervised release and he was further ordered to pay $15, 215 in restitution.

VCACS special agents led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and the FBI’s Digital Analysis and Research Center and the Office of Victim Assistance. The South Africa Police Service, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses, Gauteng; Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre; the Dutch Police Service Agency, KLPD; and the Australian Federal Police, Child Protection Operations, Sydney were active partners in Operation Subterfuge, a multinational investigation coordinated by members of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force. Trial Attorney Lauren Britsch of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Russell of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.

The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 Nokesville man pleaded guilty today to embezzling approximately $19.3 million from his employer, an information technology company headquartered in Reston.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Jon Frank, 48, worked at the company as the controller. From 2007 until January 2017, he used his position to initiate transfers of approximately $19.3 million from the company’s bank account to his personal accounts. He created false documents to make it appear that the money was being sent as reimbursement to another company that was administering the health insurance plan for Frank’s employer. Relying upon his knowledge and the altered documents, he was able to mislead the individuals performing audits of the company’s financial records. Frank spent the money on expensive automobiles and real estate, among other things.

Frank pleaded guilty to wire fraud, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on September 8. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Hanly 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-144.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former government contractor was sentenced today to four years in prison for his role in a government contract kickback scheme that caused a loss of more than $3.4 million to the U.S. Department of State.

According to court documents, Wesley Aaron Struble, 49, a U.S. citizen of Batangas, Philippines, engaged in a conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Act in 2011 and 2012 while employed in Iraq as a government contractor. Initially employed by a business identified in court documents as Company B, Struble learned that another business, identified in court documents as Company A, was seeking a lease of real property for use related to a U.S. Department of State contract. Struble knew that Company B was paying approximately $124,000 per month to a third business, identified in court documents as Company C, for a lease of real property. According to court documents, Struble became a manager for Company A, and together with another manager for Company A, engaged in a conspiracy with associates of Company C to make the lease of property available to Company A at an inflated rate of $665,000 per month.

Court documents explained that Struble and the other manager of Company A influenced Company A to lease the property at the inflated rate and in return received at least $390,000 in cash kickback payments from associates of Company C. Struble then concealed cash in packages sent back to family members in the United States, including hiding cash inside stereo speakers. Struble also directed that cash be deposited in bank accounts in a manner designed to avoid detection. The U.S. Department of State, which ultimately paid the lease of real property between Company A and Company C, suffered a loss of approximately $3.4 million. In addition to Struble’s prison sentence, he was also ordered to pay approximately $3.4 million in restitution.

Two of Struble’s co-conspirators—Jose Rivera and Emil Popescu—were charged by indictment on March 30, for their roles in the conspiracy. According to court documents, Jose Rivera pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a jury trial on August 7. The United States is seeking Emil Popescu’s extradition from Romania.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Steve A. Linick, the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian D. Harrison and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly R. Pedersen prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-44 and 1:17-cr-052.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A convicted sex offender was sentenced today to one year in prison for escaping from federal custody.

Theodore Wells, 59, formerly of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to federal escape on Aug. 15, 2016. According to court documents, Wells was convicted in October 2013 of failing to register as a sex offender and was designated to a federal prison in New Jersey. In January 2016 Wells was nearing the completion of his prison sentence and the Bureau of Prisons permitted him to travel unescorted to a residential reentry center in Baltimore, Maryland. Wells, however, never arrived and was subsequently arrested at a public library in Fairfax.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Robert Mathieson, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Berrang 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-155.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man who defrauded investors, renters, and a bank, and who attempted to illegally acquire a firearm, was sentenced today to 8 years in prison.

Donald Omar Fazel, a.k.a. Rodney Dickerson, 50, pleaded guilty to a 4-count criminal information on January 25, 2017. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Fazel carried out an investment fraud scheme in which he solicited individuals to invest in a purported technology company called Microsystems Technology USA (“MST”). Fazel eventually obtained over $700,000 from his blue-collar working victims for general investment in MST, as well as for specific technology projects that MST was allegedly developing for foreign and domestic government agencies. In truth, MST never had any assets or operations and never actually developed any technology. Fazel expended the investors’ money on a combination of retail debit purchases, cash withdrawals, and payment of “returns” back to investors. Fazel also carried out a rental fraud scheme, in which he rented and then immediately re-listed three different properties using an assumed identity. When prospective renters responded to his listings, Fazel required them to pay a cash deposit up front in order to secure the lease. On the appointed move-in dates, the victims and their families arrived at the properties only to discover that none of them could access the properties or contact Fazel. Fazel further deposited a fraudulent check for $45,000 at SunTrust Bank, which was drawn on a non-existent account. Finally, Fazel attempted to purchase a firearm at a licensed gun shop in Woodbridge. In connection with the attempted purchase, Fazel falsely certified under penalty of perjury on federal and state application forms that he had never been convicted of a felony offense, when in fact he had five prior felony convictions.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; and Chief Humberto I. Cardounel, Jr., Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Grace L. Hill and Jack Hanly 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-4.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced today to five years in prison for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

Deandre Tyree Harris, 23, pleaded guilty on Dec. 21, 2016. According to court documents, Harris ran from police officers who were attempting to arrest him for an outstanding warrant on June 5, 2016. During the foot pursuit, Harris discarded a backpack containing a loaded firearm, distribution amounts of marijuana, and a digital scale. Harris admitted that he carried the loaded handgun while conducting drug trafficking activities and that he paid another person to purchase the handgun on his behalf, in violation of federal firearms laws. Harris also admitted to shooting the handgun in two residential neighborhoods in Alexandria on May 15 and May 31, 2016, which resulted in the Alexandria Police Department being called to the scene.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina A. Cuellar 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-304.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A man who picked up a 13-year old girl at her school bus stop to have sex with her was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and 20 years of supervised release.

Manuel Delgado, 26, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty to transportation of a minor across state lines for criminal sexual activity on March 16. According to court documents, Delgado met the minor victim through family when she was 11 years old and began a romantic relationship with the victim that lasted over a year. In June 2016, Delgado, pretending to be the minor victim’s father, called the minor victim’s middle school claiming she was ill, resulting in an excused absence. Delgado then used a car service to travel from Maryland to Virginia to pick up the minor victim at her school bus stop. He then took her back to his house in Maryland and had sex with her. After the minor victim disclosed the sexual exploitation to her mother and law enforcement became involved, Delgado continued to communicate with the victim and encouraged her not to disclose the abuse to law enforcement.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Henry P. Stawinski III, Chief of Prince George’s County Police; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Cain 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-11.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for his role in distributing heroin to a person who overdosed and died.

Robert Alan Durkee, 58, pleaded guilty on March 10. According to court documents, in November 201, Durkee sold heroin that contained fentanyl to co-defendant Julie Rae Rock, who then gave the heroin to the victim, identified in court documents as E.H., at a hotel in Newport News. The victim almost immediately fell to the ground. Rock left E.H., and his body was recovered later that day by hotel staff. E.H.’s cause of death was determined to be acute combined heroin and fentanyl intoxication.

Durkee was arrested by the Newport News Police Department on June 29, 2016, and admitted to purchasing over 700 grams of heroin from June 2015 until the time of his arrest.

 

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan M. Cowles and Lisa R. McKeel 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-84.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Culpeper man entered a plea of not guilty today to criminal charges that he had sex with a minor on multiple occasions.

According to the allegations in the indictment, Fielding Smith Daniel, 53, met a young girl on a sugar daddy website in August 2016. Such websites are set up to facilitate interactions between wealthy older men and younger women who provide companionship in exchange for financial support. Daniel allegedly arranged to meet the girl for sex for money. The girl, who was 14 years old, was staying with her grandmother in Stafford. Shortly after midnight on Aug. 11, 2016, Daniel picked her up from her grandmother’s house and brought her to a motel, where they engaged in sex. Although they had negotiated a rate of $200, Daniel provided the girl with $100 after she wanted to leave early. A few weeks later, on Aug. 23, 2016, Daniel again arranged to have sex with the girl for money. On this occasion, the girl was with her 14-year-old friend. Daniel attempted to persuade the girl to have her friend watch them have sex, offering to pay her $300 if the friend watched. Daniel picked up the girl and her friend and brought them to a local hotel. The friend declined multiple offers to watch but the girl again had sex with Daniel for $140, while the friend stayed in the car. Afterwards Daniel dropped both girls off at a local Wal-Mart.

Daniel is charged with two counts of commercial sex with a minor and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. Trial is scheduled for August 14, and Daniel will remain in custody pending the outcome. Daniel faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum of life in prison, if convicted on any 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.

This case is 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” for more information about Internet safety education.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Adam Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after arraignment by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay V. Prabhu and Whitney Dougherty Russell 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-110 and 1:17-mj-145.

Today, Mohamad Jamal Khweis, 27, of Alexandria, Virginia, was convicted by a federal jury for providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Dana J. Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the verdict.

“Khweis is not a naïve kid who didn’t know what he was doing,” said Dana J. Boente, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “He is a 27-year-old man who studied criminal justice in college. He strategically planned his travel to avoid law enforcement suspicion, encrypted his communications, and planned for possible alibis. Khweis knew exactly what he was doing, knew exactly who ISIS was, and was well aware of their thirst for extreme violence. Nonetheless, this did not deter him. Instead, Khweis voluntarily chose to join the ranks of a designated foreign terrorist organization, and that is a federal crime, even if you get scared and decide to leave. This office, along with the National Security Division and our investigative partners, are committed to tracking down anyone who provides or attempts to provide material support to a terrorist organization.”

“Mohamad Khweis purposefully traveled overseas with the intent to join ISIL in support of the terrorist group’s efforts to conduct operations and execute attacks to further their radical ideology,” said Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “Furthermore, when ISIL leaders questioned Khweis' commitment to serving as a suicide bomber to carry out acts of terrorism, Khweis stated that he agreed and recognized that ISIL uses violence in its expansion of its caliphate. Today’s verdict underscores the dedication of the FBI and our partners within the Joint Terrorism Task Force in pursuing and disrupting anyone who poses a risk of harm to U.S. persons or interests or by providing material support to a terrorist group.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Khweis left the U.S. in mid-December 2015, and ultimately crossed into Syria through the Republic of Turkey in late December 2015. Before leaving, Khweis quit his job, sold his car, closed online accounts, and did not tell his family he was leaving to join ISIS. During his travel to the Islamic State, he used numerous encrypted devices to conceal his activity, and downloaded several applications on his phone that featured secure messaging or anonymous web browsing. Khweis used these applications to communicate with ISIS facilitators to coordinate and secure his passage to the Islamic State.

After arriving in Syria, Khweis stayed at a safe house with other ISIS recruits in Raqqa and filled out ISIS intake forms, which included his name, age, skills, specialty before jihad, and status as a fighter. When Khweis joined ISIS, he agreed to be a suicide bomber. In February 2017, the U.S. military recovered his intake form, along with an ISIS camp roster that included Khweis’ name with 19 other ISIS fighters.

During the trial, Khweis admitted to spending approximately 2.5 months as an ISIS member, traveling with ISIS fighters to multiple safe houses and participating in ISIS-directed religious training. Kurdish Peshmerga military forces detained Khweis in March 2016. A Kurdish Peshmerga official testified at trial that he captured Khweis on the battlefield after Khweis left an ISIS-controlled neighborhood in Tal Afar, Iraq.

On a cross examination, Khweis admitted he consistently lied to U.S. and Kurdish officials about his involvement with ISIS, and that he omitted telling U.S. officials about another American who had trained with ISIS to conduct an attack in the U.S.

The jury convicted Khweis, a U.S. citizen, on all three charged counts, including providing and conspiring to provide material support or resources to ISIS, and a related firearms count. Khweis faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on October 13. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Trial Attorney Raj Parekh of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Fitzpatrick for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force provided assistance in this case.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted an Alexandria man today of providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Mohamad Jamal Khweis, 27, left the United States in mid-December 2015, and ultimately crossed into Syria through the Republic of Turkey in late December 2015. Before leaving, Khweis quit his job, sold his car, closed online accounts, and did not tell his family he was leaving to join ISIS. During his travel to the Islamic State, he used numerous encrypted devices to conceal his activity, and downloaded several applications on his phone that featured secure messaging or anonymous web browsing. Khweis used these applications to communicate with ISIS facilitators to coordinate and secure his passage to the Islamic State.

“Khweis is not a naïve kid who didn’t know what he was doing,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, who is also serving as the Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “He is a 27-year-old man who studied criminal justice in college. He strategically planned his travel to avoid law enforcement suspicion, encrypted his communications, and planned for possible alibis. Khweis knew exactly what he was doing, knew exactly who ISIS was, and was well aware of their thirst for extreme violence. Nonetheless, this did not deter him. Instead, Khweis voluntarily chose to join the ranks of a designated foreign terrorist organization, and that is a federal crime, even if you get scared and decide to leave. This office, along with the National Security Division and our investigative partners, are committed to tracking down anyone who provides or attempts to provide material support to a terrorist organization.”

After arriving in Syria, Khweis stayed at a safe house with other ISIS recruits in Raqqa and filled out ISIS intake forms, which included his name, age, skills, specialty before jihad, and status as a fighter. When Khweis joined ISIS, he agreed to be a suicide bomber. In February 2017, the United States military recovered his intake form, along with an ISIS camp roster that included Khweis’ name with 19 other ISIS fighters.

“Mohamad Khweis purposefully traveled overseas with the intent to join ISIL in support of the terrorist group’s efforts to conduct operations and execute attacks to further their radical ideology,” said Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “Furthermore, when ISIL leaders questioned Khweis' commitment to serving as a suicide bomber to carry out acts of terrorism, Khweis stated that he agreed and recognized that ISIL uses violence in its expansion of its caliphate. Today’s verdict underscores the dedication of the FBI and our partners within the Joint Terrorism Task Force in pursuing and disrupting anyone who poses a risk of harm to U.S. persons or interests or by providing material support to a terrorist group.”

During the trial, Khweis admitted to spending approximately 2.5 months as an ISIS member, traveling with ISIS fighters to multiple safe houses and participating in ISIS-directed religious training. Kurdish Peshmerga military forces detained Khweis in March 2016. A Kurdish Peshmerga official testified at trial that he captured Khweis on the battlefield after Khweis left an ISIS-controlled neighborhood in Tal Afar, Iraq.

On a cross examination, Khweis admitted he consistently lied to United States and Kurdish officials about his involvement with ISIS, and that he omitted telling United States officials about another American who had trained with ISIS to conduct an attack in the United States.

The jury convicted Khweis on all three charged counts, including providing and conspiring to provide material support or resources to ISIS, and a related firearms count. Khweis faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on October 13. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Fitzpatrick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh are prosecuting the case.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force provided assistance in 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-143.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Melfa man who amassed tens of thousands of digital images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct was sentenced today to 15 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release.

John M. Bowen, 56, pleaded guilty on January 19. According to court documents, during the execution of a search warrant at Bowen’s residence, law enforcement recovered several electronic devices that contained at least 1.7 million digital files, tens of thousands of which depicted the sexual abuse of children. The collection included depictions of sexual abuse of children of a wide variety of ages, some as young as babies, and including files of bestiality, and sadistic and masochistic conduct. Bowen’s collection was accumulated over nearly a decade of downloading child pornography. Also recovered during the search of Bowen’s home was a handcrafted doll, the size of a young child, with a silicone adult-sized vagina insert. Contributing to length of Bowen’s prison sentence is his previous conviction of aggravated sexual battery and indecent liberties with a minor in 2001.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-160.

NORFOLK, Va. – A California man pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Naeem Lateef Odums, 39, of Clovis, California, and Portsmouth, forced “Jane Doe” to engage in commercial sex acts in California and Virginia for nearly nine years. Odums used a combination of extreme physical violence, threats of violence, and threats of kidnapping Jane Doe’s children, and other forms of control to cause her to perform commercial sex acts. Odums arranged appointments for Jane Doe using a website known to promote prostitution, and collected all the money Jane Doe earned both from her appointments, as well as from her legitimate jobs. In January 2017, Jane Doe was hospitalized after Odums broke three of her ribs and punctured her lung.

Odums was originally charged by criminal complaint on March 7, and was indicted on March 22. A superseding indictment naming two additional women who Odums posted prostitution advertisements for was returned on April 20. Odums faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on October 6. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; and Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of Portsmouth Police Department, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen accepted the plea and found Odums guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Kathleen Dougherty 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-46.

RICHMOND, Va. – Fredericksburg Hospitalist Group, P.C. (FHG), and 14 of its member shareholders have agreed to pay approximately $4.2 million to settle a federal False Claims Act (FCA) case brought under the qui tam whistleblower provisions of the FCA.

 

“Rooting out fraudulent billing by healthcare providers is a priority,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This office will continue to pursue such matters vigorously.”

 

The whistleblower complaint, which was originally filed under seal, alleged that FHG and its member hospitalists knowingly and intentionally upcoded evaluation and management (E&M) codes to the highest code levels in billing Medicare and other federal healthcare payors in connection with their providing hospitalist services to patients at Mary Washington Hospital and Stafford Hospital. After an investigation into the matter, the United States alleged that from January 2010 through April 2015, the defendants knowingly and intentionally increased the level of E&M codes to the highest code levels, resulting in increased reimbursement amounts paid by the federal healthcare payors to the billing defendants.

 

“Whether it’s upcoding, billing for undelivered services, or delivery of substandard care, our nationally renowned Medicaid Fraud Control Unit will never stop working to root out fraud, waste, and abuse that steals from taxpayers and weakens these important programs for Virginians who need these services,” said Mark Herring, Virginia Attorney General.

 

The whistleblower, also known as a “relator,” alleged that the defendants’ conduct violated the FCA. In such cases, the United States has an opportunity to investigate the claims. Under the FCA relators may be awarded up to 25 percent, or more, of amounts collected.

 

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

The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McIntosh, and Assistant Attorney Generals Vincent J. Vaccarella and Adele M. Neiburg. The civil claims settled by this FCA agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.

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

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man pleaded guilty today to collecting hundreds of images of child pornography.

According to court documents, Axel Ignacio Portillo, 35, admitted that between February and October 2014, he downloaded hundreds of images of child pornography from the Internet using peer-to-peer software. In October 2014, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant on Portillo’s residence and seized a desktop computer and external hard drive containing at least 100 videos and 600 other digital images of child pornography.

Portillo waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with receipt of child pornography. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on September 1. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Berrang and Maya D. Song 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-97.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Two men who led a $21 million spice manufacturing and distribution conspiracy were sentenced today to 32 years and 28 years in prison, respectively. Both men were also ordered to forfeit $6.5 million.

Charles Burton Ritchie, 46, and Benjamin Galecki, 42, both of Pensacola, Florida, were convicted by a federal jury on January 23. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Ritchie and Galecki operated Zencense, a Pensacola-based company that manufactured smokable synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “spice,” throughout 2012. Ritchie and Galecki’s company gave their spice blends such names as Bizarro, Neutronium, Orgazmo, and Sonic Zero. Their products contained XLR-11 and UR-144, which at that time were analogues of JWH-018, a Schedule I controlled substance. In December 2012, Ritchie and Galecki purported to sell their company to a third party in California, though they continued to exercise control over the company into 2013. The new company’s name was ZenBio.

Between August 2012 and April 2013, Zencense and ZenBio shipped a total of approximately 1,000 kilograms of spice to the Hampton Roads area. Zencense and ZenBio spice was sold at Hampton Pipe and Tobacco, a headshop in Hampton, as well as at the Red Barn, a convenience store in Newport News, among other locations.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael K. Lamonea, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk; Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; Colonel Kirk B. Stabler, Commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division; Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police; and Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Hurt and Kevin Hudson prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:15-cr-18.

NORFOLK, Va. – Juan Rivera-Gutierrez, 35, and Pedro Pabon, Jr., 42, both of Virginia Beach, pleaded guilty today to their respective roles in a three-year conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

According to court documents, Rivera-Gutierrez and Pabon conspired to sell wholesale quantities of cocaine from September 2013 to April 2017. During the course of the conspiracy, both men offered to sell kilogram levels of cocaine ranging from $34,000 to $42,000. Special Agents from the DEA conducted nine controlled purchases and recovered over 500 grams of cocaine. During one controlled purchase, Pabon suggested that a confidential informant add a cutting agent to cocaine known as “Aroma,” a product commonly used a carpet cleaner, to increase profits. On another controlled purchase, Rivera-Gutierrez sold $2,000 worth of cocaine and five firearms with multiple 100-round clips and a silencer. The silencer was a Department of Defense asset and the firearms included a Russian shotgun, an Israeli rifle, a stolen AR-15 rifle, and a Colt M-4 rifle.

Rivera-Guitterez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms during and relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of an unregistered firearm (the silencer). Rivera-Gutierrez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Pabon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. Both men are scheduled for sentencing on September 21.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the pleas were accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Bosse 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-60.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 13 years in prison for drugging and prostituting a 14-year-old girl.

Joshua Manuel Treat, 20, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of children on February 24. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, from September 26 to Oct. 12, 2016, Treat posted Jane Doe, a 14-year-old girl, on an Internet website and advertised her for prostitution. In order to make Jane Doe more amenable to prostitution, Treat would inject Jane Doe with heroin prior to her appointments with customers. When Treat was arrested, he was found with a handgun and a syringe containing heroin residue.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Yusi prosecuted the case.

This case is 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” for more information about Internet safety education.

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. 2:16-cr-172.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – An Atlanta man who recruited individuals from local homeless shelters to cash counterfeit business checks was sentenced yesterday to 75 months in prison.

Yumahnn Quashawn Brown, 30, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft on February 23. According to the statement of facts, Brown traveled from Georgia to Virginia and other states several times between August 2015 and August 2016. The purpose of those trips was to steal mail, including business checks, from industrial parks and to cash counterfeit checks that were made using the stolen checks as templates. During these trips, Brown traveled to homeless shelters, where he solicited individuals to perform construction and other day jobs. Brown and the conspirators he was traveling with then provided the individuals with clothing, food, cigarettes, and alcohol while transporting them to the other areas, often more than an hour away from their respective shelters. During these trips, Brown sent information about the recruited individuals to conspirators traveling in other cars for use in the creation of counterfeit checks. Upon arrival in the targeted areas, Brown presented the homeless recruits with the counterfeit checks and directed them to cash those checks at nearby banks. In Virginia alone, Brown caused 30 homeless people to cash 70 counterfeit checks drawn on accounts belonging to 29 businesses. The total value of these counterfeit checks was nearly $160,000.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin C. Gratton 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-75.

NORFOLK, Va. – A man who executed an elaborate auto loan fraud scheme was sentenced today to two years in prison for bank fraud.

Sheldon Franklin, 31, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty on February 28. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Franklin organized and engineered an automobile loan fraud scheme resulting in a loss of $167,528 to Langley Federal Credit Union, Navy Federal Credit Union, and NSWC Federal Credit Union. Between October 2012 and August 2014, Franklin recruited several other individuals to provide their personal information, which he used to apply for car loans. Franklin filled out the loan documents and created associated fake documents, such as pay statements, to submit to the credit unions. Once the loans were approved, the recruits would pick up the checks and provide them to Franklin. He cashed the checks at a check cashing business or deposited them into business bank accounts that he had established. These business accounts were set up using fake IRS documents and under names that purported to be automobile dealerships.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Stoker 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-80.

NORFOLK, Va. – Two members of the Nine Trey Gangsters pleaded guilty today to their respective roles in four murders and multiple shootings.

According to the statements of fact filed with the plea agreements, Anthony Foye, 25, and Alvaughn Davis, 28, both of Suffolk, were members of the Nine Trey Gangsters, a street gang with members in states across the East Coast that is affiliated with the United Blood Nation. In furtherance of his membership in the gang, Foye murdered Al-Tariq Tynes, Vandelet Mercer, Linda Lassiter, and Wayne Davis; shot into a residence in Portsmouth; and shot two other individuals in Portsmouth and Virginia Beach. Davis, in furtherance of his membership in the gang, helped conceal Mr. Tynes’ body and was the driver during the murder of Ms. Mercer.

Foye pleaded guilty to four counts of murder in aid of racketeering activity, and faces a mandatory life sentence on each count when sentenced on September 8. Davis pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy, use of a firearm resulting in death, and to being an accessory after the fact to a murder in aid of racketeering. Davis has agreed to a sentence of 45 years and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police; Tonya D. Chapman, Chief of Portsmouth Police; James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police; Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Thomas E. Bennett, Chief of Suffolk Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla, Andrew C. Bosse, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-130.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Stafford man pleaded guilty today to stealing nearly $100,000 worth of military equipment from the helicopter squadron responsible for the transportation of the President of the United States.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, from approximately September 2013 to April 2015, Branden Roy Baker, 34, stole at least 51 image intensifiers tubes and other night vision parts worth approximately $94,392 from Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1). Baker typically negotiated the sales of the stolen equipment via email after identifying potential buyers on eBay.com.

Baker pleaded guilty to theft of government property, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on August 11. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Jeremy Gauthier, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andres E. Vasquez and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Rich 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 is 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-91.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former chief executive officer of an investment company pleaded guilty today to her role in an investment fraud scheme involving foreign exchange currency.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Angelina Lazar, 54, a Canadian citizen from Windsor, Ontario, was the Chairman and CEO of Charismatic Exchange, Inc., an investment firm in Las Vegas. From May 2005 through February 2007, Lazar solicited individuals to invest money in foreign exchange currency funds she managed. As part of the scheme, Lazar guaranteed investors a monthly return of 20 percent or more. However, Lazar falsely represented her experience, her success rate, how funds would be invested, and how funds were ultimately spent. For example, Lazar told investors her company used special software program to facilitate and enhance her ability to successfully trade foreign currencies. In truth, Lazar did not possess the software nor did her company ever purchase it. Likewise, Lazar showed investors trading reports that purportedly validated executed foreign currency trades resulting in significant profits. In fact, the trading reports represented only simulated currency trades and no money was actually invested. As a result of her fraudulent conduct, victim investors suffered at least $20,000 in losses.

As part of her plea agreement, Lazar will be immediately deported from the United States to Canada.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, 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 and announced the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Uzo Asonye 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:09-cr-175.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A woman who used personally identifiable information stolen from employees of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was sentenced today to 5 1/2 years in prison.

Allise Jones, 29, of Lanham, Maryland, was convicted by a federal jury on February 16. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jones conspired with others to use personally identifiable information (PII) about current and former employees of Freddie Mac, the VA, and others. From October 2012 to April 2014, Jones and her co-conspirators had access to PII from over 100 VA employees and more than 2,000 Freddie Mac employees and affiliates. Jones and her co-conspirators used that information to obtain fraudulent identification documents and credit accounts used to defraud financial institutions, retailers, and others. Jones used the information to obtain credit cards she used to purchase goods and services such as plastic surgery, expensive jewelry, and travel.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Steven Perez, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Office of Inspector General; and Michael J. Missal, Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Castanien and Charlie Divine and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Fahey 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-282.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted Virginia Beach man last night of bank fraud and identity theft offenses.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Richard Huff, 53, agreed to cash auto loan checks that were fraudulently obtained in the names of stolen identities as part of a conspiracy to defraud Navy Federal Credit Union. When applying for the auto loans, Huff’s co-conspirators identified Huff as the seller of new and used Mercedes and BMWs that Huff did not own and was not authorized to sell. At the time the applications were made, the vehicles proffered as collateral for the loans were listed for sale at car dealerships located in Hampton and Newport News. In July 2016, Huff presented two fraudulent loan checks for cashing at Navy Federal Credit Union branches in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. Huff used his cell phone to create video recordings of both transactions. On July 13, 2016, Huff successfully cashed a $40,000 check. Huff was arrested when he attempted to cash a $45,000 check on July 20, 2016.

The jury convicted Huff of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Huff faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison to run consecutive to a maximum possible penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced on October 25. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr., accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin C. Gratton and Howard J. Zlotnick 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:17-cr-18.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four Washington, D.C. residents for their alleged roles in 19 separate armed robberies in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

According to allegations in the indictment, from Nov. 1, 2016 to April 12, Desmar Rashad Gayles, Andrew Bernard Duncan, Anton Durrell Harris, and Lamont Kortez Gaines committed a total of 19 armed robberies of commercial establishments and three carjackings, allegedly using two of the vehicles that they carjacked to commit some of the armed robberies. In ten of the armed robberies, the defendants used an Intratec 9 mm semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine. That firearm was recovered in Harris’ residence on April 13 with the extended magazine fully loaded and a round in the chamber.

Name, Age

Hometown

Charges (#)

Max Penalty

Desmar Rashad Gayles, 25

Washington, D.C.

Conspiracy (1)

Armed robbery (6)

Carjacking (1)

Brandishing firearm during crime of violence (7)

Life

Andrew Bernard Duncan, 26

Washington, D.C.

Conspiracy (1)

Armed robbery (10)

Brandishing firearm during crime of violence (10) Felon in possession of a firearm (3)

Life

Anton Durrell Harris, 27

Washington, D.C.

Conspiracy (1)

Armed robbery (6)

Brandishing firearm during crime of violence (6) Felon in possession of a firearm (4)

Life

Lamont Kortez Gaines, 27

Washington, D.C.

Conspiracy (1)

Armed robbery (5)

Carjacking (1)

Brandishing firearm during crime of violence (6) Felon in possession of a firearm (5)

Life

 

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

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police; M. Jay Farr, Arlington County Chief of Police; Michael L. Brown, Alexandria Chief of Police; Charles L. Owens, Bladensburg Chief of Police; and Henry P. Stawinski III, Prince George’s County Chief of Police, made the announcement after the indictment was returned yesterday evening. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebeca H. Bellows and Alexander Blanchard are prosecuting the case.

The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department provided significant assistance during 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-106.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Robert Mason Wildes, 35, of Dunn Loring, was sentenced today to 136 months in prison for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Wildes pleaded guilty on February 3. According to court documents, Wildes regularly drove to meet with his customers in the Washington D.C., area to distribute ounce to half-pound quantities of methamphetamine. On Dec. 6, 2016, law enforcement seized approximately 4.8 kilograms of methamphetamine and drug proceeds from Wildes’s vehicle and home in Dunn Loring. During a search of his home, law enforcement also seized fraudulent identification cards, packaging materials, and other items consistent with Wildes operating a sophisticated distribution operation.

The case was investigated by the DEA and U.S. Postal Inspection Service as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Ring of Ice. 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.

 

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division; and Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina A. Cuellar prosecuted the case.

 

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-17.

RICHMOND, Va. – A convicted felon who illegally purchased firearms in Virginia and trafficked them to Maryland for re-sale was sentenced today to 87 months in prison.

Devon Kennedy, 23, of Waldorf, Maryland, pleaded guilty on February 16. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Kennedy, a convicted felon, traveled to the Richmond area repeatedly between April 28 and May 23, 2016, where he directed his cousin to purchase 16 firearms and several extended magazines. Kennedy provided his cousin with the cash to purchase the firearms, as well as instructions on the types of firearms he wanted his cousin to buy. After supervising his cousin’s purchases, Kennedy took possession of the weapons and then transported those firearms back north to Maryland, where he sold them on the street to various buyers. Kennedy was arrested in Prince George County on May 26, 2016, three days after his most recent trip to Richmond, carrying one of three pistols his cousin had purchased on his behalf. Kennedy had already sold the other two firearms.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett 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 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-154.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Fredericksburg man pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to traffic contraband cigarettes.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Bernard Ekelemu, 60, directed another individual to purchase a Gulf gas station in Fredericksburg in November of 2013. Ekelemu then registered a Virginia corporation to operate that gas station, and obtained a “Certificate of Registration for the Collection of Virginia Sales and Use Tax” that exempted Ekelemu from paying the Virginia sales and use tax when making business purchases. Ekelemu opened business memberships at various wholesale clubs and with wholesale cigarette distributors in Virginia, and subsequently used those business memberships to make sales-tax-free purchases of more than $7.1 million worth of Virginia-stamped cigarettes between March 2014 and November 2016. Ekelemu stored those cigarettes at several locations in Virginia, to include storage units in Fredericksburg and Springfield, where Ekelemu would sell those cigarettes to cigarette traffickers. The traffickers thereafter smuggled those Virginia cigarettes north to New York State (among other locations), where they were sold as contraband cigarettes on the black market.

Ekelemu faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison when sentenced on August 16. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett is prosecuting the case.

 

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is 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-46.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging two men with committing six armed robberies of commercial businesses in the Richmond area.

According to the indictment, Antonio Lamont Jones, Jr., 19, of Chesterfield, and Derrick Orlando Ramsey, Jr., 27, of Petersburg, committed the following armed robberies in and around Richmond:

Date

Location

June 30, 2016

7-Eleven located at 5549 Belmont Road in Chesterfield

July 11, 2016

Sunoco located at 961 Temple Avenue in Colonial Heights

July 11, 2016

7-Eleven located at 3301 Oaklawn Boulevard in Hopewell

July 21, 2016

7-Eleven located at 12120 Harrowgate Road in Chesterfield

July 29, 2016

7-Eleven located at 121 Turner Road in Chesterfield

August 10, 2016

7-Eleven located at 10121 Chester Road in Chesterfield

 

Jones and Ramsey are each charged with one count of conspiracy; six counts of robbery affecting commerce; and two counts of using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Jones is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user.

Jones faces a maximum sentence of 162 years in prison if convicted and Ramsey faces a maximum sentence of 152 years if convicted. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and John K. Lenkart, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. David Schiller is prosecuting the case.

 

This case was investigated by the FBI Richmond Division in partnership with the Henrico County Police Division, the Chesterfield County Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as part of the FBI Richmond Central Virginia Violent Crimes Task Force.

 

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is 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-61.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Chester woman who worked as a tax return preparer from 2011 through 2015 pleaded guilty today to filing false tax returns.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Crystal Charmae Jackson, 44, admitted to conspiring with David Wayne Schneider to prepare and file false returns on behalf of clients that contained false entries as to clients’ Schedule C income, losses from small businesses, as well as clients’ dependents. These false entries resulted in the issuance of inflated refunds to the clients. On many occasions, those fraudulently obtained refunds were deposited into the bank accounts of Zimmerman Bail Bonding, a company owned by Schneider. Schneider was sentenced to 24 months in prison in April 2016, and ordered to pay $515,104.74 in restitution to the IRS for losses resulting from his preparation of false tax returns.

Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to submit false claims, and making false claims. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison when sentenced on September 12. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kimberly Lappin, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Anthony Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General; and Michael McGill, Special Agent-in-Charge, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr., accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore 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 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-155.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A local graduate student was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for attempting to have sex with two children, ages 5 and 7.

Julio Perez-Torres, 26, of Rome, New York, pleaded guilty on January 13 to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in early February 2016, Perez-Torres, a master’s degree candidate at American University, posted an online advertisement expressing interest in sex with children. When an undercover Fairfax County police officer replied portraying himself as the father of two children, ages 5 and 7, Perez-Torres discussed performing graphic sexual acts on the children. On Feb. 18, 2016, after weeks of corresponding with the undercover officer via sexually explicit emails, text messages and telephone calls, Perez-Torres traveled to meet the undercover officer with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the children. Perez-Torres was arrested at that time.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Blanco, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kellen S. Dwyer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Burke IV prosecuted the case.

This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-287.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Ohio man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for exploiting at least six minor boys to produce sexually explicit photographs and videos.

Vincenzo Leonardi, 27, of Lakewood, pleaded guilty on February 13, to the sexual exploitation of a minor. According to court documents, from at least May 2012 to February 2016, Leonardi posed as a pre-adolescent minor girl named “Taylor Capps” on Facebook, Instagram, Kik, and other social media services, for the purpose of contacting minor boys over the Internet to engage in sexually explicit communications and conduct. As part of his scheme, Leonardi sent pictures of a minor girl and other naked females to his victims. One victim, located in Loudoun County, Virginia, was 9 years old when he was contacted by Leonardi. For that victim and at least five others located throughout the country, Leonardi successfully coerced and enticed them to record themselves engaged in sexually explicit behavior and to transmit those photographs and videos to Leonardi. As part of his plea agreement, Leonardi admitted that he attempted to similarly exploit at least a dozen other minor boys he contacted online, all of whom were between the ages of 9 and 12 years old. Leonardi also admitted that his personal laptop computer, which was seized during the execution of a search warrant in December 2015, contained over two dozen sexually explicit videos and over 100 sexually explicit images of children.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Michael L. Chapman, Loudoun County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maya D. Song and Jay V. Prabhu prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Ohio and the District of Maryland significantly aided in 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-247.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Leesburg man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with his misuse of clients funds, some of which were invested through a purported hedge fund called Crescent Ridge Capital Partners.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Tamer Moumen, 39, defrauded over 50 clients between 2012 and 2017. Moumen falsely told investors that he was a successful trader who consistently beat the S&P500 and was overseeing tens of millions of dollars through his company, Crescent Ridge Capital Partners. Moumen encouraged dozens of clients, including many who were nearing retirement age, to liquidate their other investments and retirement accounts, and invest with him. Moumen did not tell investors that he actually had no experience managing a hedge fund, had a history of losing money in the securities market, and was relying on investor money to support his lifestyle and pay personal expenses. For example, Moumen used investor money to help finance the purchase of a $1 million personal residence in Leesburg, Virginia, a new Tesla, and to repay old investors. In nearly all instances, Moumen lost or spent his clients’ money within a matter of weeks or months of their original investment, but would conceal those facts by providing statements that showed the investment as steadily growing.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, beginning in 2015, Moumen was involved with two fundraising efforts that solicited donations to benefit refugees, including a GoFundMe campaign and the Northern Virginia Refugee Fund. Moumen had sole control of the donated funds, some of which he transferred into accounts in his name, where the money was commingled with investor funds. Moumen used money in these accounts to pay personal expenses.

Moumen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on July 28. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Andrew W. Vale, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine L. Wong 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-77.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former government contractor pleaded guilty today to stealing the identities of numerous co-workers to make purchases at online retailers such as Amazon, Express, and Victoria’s Secret.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Lakeisha Bradshaw, 28, of Temple Hills, Maryland, was a government contractor employed by Veteran Solutions, Inc., and was assigned to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency at Fort Belvoir. Beginning in July 2016, Bradshaw stole credit card numbers from several co-workers, including one whom she shared a cubicle with, and used them to purchase retail items for herself. In addition to the fraudulent online purchases, Bradshaw also stole personally identifiable information from a co-worker and attempted to open a line of credit. In total, Bradshaw attempted to steal at least $6,000 during the scheme.

Bradshaw faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when sentenced on September 8. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffery Thorpe, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Cyber Field Office; and Robert Craig, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Mid-Atlantic Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn D. Sparks is prosecuting the case. Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Schneider previously 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-99.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Newport News man with the armed robbery of a local business in July 2016.

According to the indictment, Brian Gale, 54, robbed the Ricco’s Pizza located on West Mercury Boulevard on July 3, 2016. Gale entered through the rear of the business wearing a mask and armed with a firearm. After pushing one employee to the floor, he moved to the front of the store, where he demanded money from the store’s owner at gunpoint. Gale fired his weapon inside the store before taking money from the register and fleeing the scene.

Gale faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted of the robbery and a mandatory minimum consecutive penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted of discharging a firearm during the robbery. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Terry L. Sult, Chief of Hampton Police Division, made the announcement after the indictment was returned. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin C. Gratton 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER.

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.

NORFOLK, Va. – The City of Chesapeake has agreed to resolve an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance review of its polling locations to ensure its polling locations comply with the ADA.

“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy,” said Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Under this agreement, voters with disabilities in the City of Chesapeake can rest assured they can cast their ballots at polling places near their homes, alongside their neighbors.”

Title II of the ADA prohibits public entities from discriminating against people with disabilities in their programs, services and activities. With respect to polling places, public entities are required to select and use polling places that are accessible. As part of a nation-wide Department of Justice voting rights initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted an ADA compliance review of the City of Chesapeake’s polling locations. The review revealed that many polling places in the City of Chesapeake have architectural barriers that make them inaccessible to voters who use wheelchairs or have mobility impairments.

Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the City of Chesapeake will make temporary and permanent changes to its polling places to make the locations accessible to voters who use wheelchairs or have mobility impairments. The City also has the option of relocating these polling locations to alternate accessible locations or, if relocation to an accessible polling place cannot be achieved under applicable law and regulations, otherwise complying with title II’s program accessibility requirements. The City will also provide training to poll workers and file reports with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on its compliance.

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Wuerker.

To learn more about ADA requirements for polling place accessibility or about the ADA and other laws protecting the rights of voters with disabilities, visit www.ada.gov/ta-pubs-pg2.htm. For more information on the ADA and to access this publication, visit http://www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD).

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

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Timothy Justin George, 27, of Gloucester County, was sentenced today to six years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for distribution of child pornography.

George pleaded guilty on February 1. According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, in September 2016, law enforcement conducted a search of George’s home and seized a number of electronic devices. A forensic examiner completed a forensic analysis of the devices and found over 31,000 images of child pornography.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. McKeel prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:16-cr-96.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A man who smuggled ancient artifacts out of Pakistan and into the United States was sentenced today to three years in prison, ordered to forfeit over 1,300 artifacts, and pay a money judgment of over $115,000. The Court also entered an order revoking the man’s U.S. citizenship, which he obtained through fraud.

Ijaz Khan, 42, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was convicted by a federal jury on February 9. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Khan was part of a conspiracy that smuggled ancient artifacts including pottery and bronze weapons, which were stolen from burial sites, and ancient coins from a cave temple in Pakistan called the Kashmir Smast. Khan and Vera Lautt, 57, also of Santa Fe, New Mexico, used their business, Indus Valley, to sell the artifacts. One shipment of artifacts was seized at Dulles International Airport in October 2013. Ijaz and others then attempted to obtain the shipment by submitting various false and fraudulent documents to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, some of which purported to be from the Government of Pakistan.

Khan was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States, procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully, conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, smuggling goods into the United States, mail fraud, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, and obstruction of an official proceeding. Lautt was convicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Khan and Lautt submitted fraudulent documents to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which enabled Khan to immigrate to the United States in 2003 and later become a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2009. In order to further the conspiracy, Ijaz and Vera concealed Ijaz Khan’s wife and children in Pakistan. The conspiracy included eleven separate attempts to obtain immigration benefits by fraud, five of which were successful and another five of which were still pending as of the date of indictment. According to court records, Ijaz Khan used his fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship to cause the fraudulent immigration and naturalization of his four oldest children. Khan also filed petitions on behalf of his brother, mother, other wife in Pakistan, and two youngest children.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Steve A. Linick, Inspector General for the Department of State; and Patrick J. Lechleitner, 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 Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine L. Wong and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Harrison 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:16-cr-130.

NORFOLK, Va. – A federal grand jury in Norfolk returned an indictment yesterday charging a Chesapeake man with theft of firearms and possessing stolen firearms.

According to the allegations in the indictment, Sean Robert Elliott, 27, stole the firearms on Nov. 25, 2016, and on January 27. Elliott is also charged with two counts of possessing stolen firearms, stemming from a series of burglaries and burglary attempts at a Chesapeake sporting goods store that took place last winter.

Elliott faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison if convicted. 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.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael B. Boxler, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Col. K.L. Wright, Chesapeake Chief of Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Hudson 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 is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-75.

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.

A Honduran man pleaded guilty today to use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence resulting in the death of another for his participation in a murder committed as part of a gang initiation for two recruits of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Adam S. Lee of the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia, Division, Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and Police Chief Alfred Durham of the Richmond Police Department made the announcement.

Yerwin Ivan Hernandez-Ordonez, aka Probador, 31, a Honduran national, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate David J. Novak in the Eastern District of Virginia to use of a firearm during a crime of violence causing the death of another. In October 2016, Hernandez-Ordonez was arrested in Panama and extradited to the United States. Sentencing is set for Aug. 3, 2017, before the Honorable Robert E. Payne.

MS-13 is a national and international gang that was formed and is headquartered in El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., among other cities. MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence within the gang and against rival gangs. One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.

In his plea agreement, Hernandez-Ordonez admitted that he aided two MS-13 recruits to murder a victim so the recruits could gain entrance into MS-13. Specifically, Hernandez-Ordonez admitted that on July 23, 2011, he and members of the Richmond Sailors clique of MS-13 decided the killing of the rival gang member would be the initiation rite for two MS-13 recruits. The leader chose Hernandez-Ordonez and a co-conspirator gang member to ensure the recruits carried out the murder. Later that night and into the early morning hours of July 24, 2011, the recruits drove the victim to an area near the 8200 block of Riverside Drive in Richmond. One of the recruits then attempted to shoot the victim, but the gun misfired. An MS-13 member then shot the victim with another gun, but did not kill him. When the victim attempted to flee, Hernandez-Ordonez chased the victim down and brought him back to the group, and thereafter, the two recruits shot the victim in the head and killed him. Later that same day, the two recruits were initiated into the gang.

Jose Armando Bran, aka Pantro, the leader of MS-13’s Sailors Locos Salvatrucha clique in Richmond, was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, maiming and use of a firearm during a crime of violence in death on May 20, 2013. Bran was sentenced in Aug. 15, 2013, to serve two consecutive life sentences plus 120 months for his role in the same murder and a separate maiming that he ordered while he was an MS-13 gang leader in Richmond.

FBI Richmond, HSI Richmond and the Richmond Police Department investigated the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance with the extradition of Hernandez-Ordonez. Trial Attorneys Matthew K. Hoff and Andrew Creighton of the Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.