Eastern District of Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Khalil Kenyon Blackman, 31, of District Heights, Md. was convicted yesterday of conspiring to commit three armed robberies of truck drivers who were delivering Apple products to area stores.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ken Cuccinelli, II, Attorney General of Virginia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Lt. Colonel James A. Morris, Acting Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after a bench trial before United States District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

Blackman was convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years, and brandishing a firearm, which carries a mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for April 26, 2013.

According to court records and evidence at trial, Blackman and others conspired to carry out three armed robberies of delivery truck drivers hauling Apple products.  On Feb. 11, 2011, Blackman and his co-conspirators robbed a delivery truck driver in Prince George’s County, Md.  Thereafter, Blackman took the majority of the products and sold them to another person and then distributed the proceeds among his conspirators. Blackman also conspired with others to carry out two other robberies – on June 15, 2011 in Fairfax County, Va. and on October 30, 2011 in Prince George’s County, Md. – and sold the stolen products from these robberies to others for the benefit of the conspirators. The total loss to Apple was more than $130,000.

The investigation was conducted by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Fairfax County Police Department.  Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum and Assistant United States Attorney Adam B. Schwartz are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NORFOLK, Va. – James Benjiman Baynor, Jr., 61, of Buckingham, Va., was sentenced today to 36months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana.  The conviction is based on Baynor’s indictment in June 2000. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Robert Brisolari, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s Washington Field Division; and Col. K.L. Wright, Chesapeake Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.

Baynorpled guilty on Sept. 27, 2012. According to court documents, in June 2000, Baynor maintained a marijuana grow operation at his place of business on Queen City Road in Chesapeake, VirginiaDetectives served a search warrant and recovered 174 growing marijuana plants, 990 grams of cut marijuana, a small quantity of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia, including scales, hydroponic grow lights, electrical wires and numerous small film containers.  Baynor fled the Tidewater area after learning of a federal indictment and was not located until July 2012, when he was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Buckingham County, Va.  Initially Baynor provided the Buckingham County law enforcement officials with a false name, but their check with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) revealed Baynor’s true identity and located the arrest warrant that had outstanding since 2000.         

            This case was investigated by the DEA’s Washington Field Office and the Chesapeake Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Laura P. Tayman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NORFOLK, Va. – William W. Lowery IV, 44, of Tappahannock, Va., pleaded guilty today to trafficking in illegally-harvested striped bass, in violation of the Lacey Act, announced Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. 

            Among other things, the Lacey Act makes it unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase any fish and wildlife taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of any law or regulation of the United States, or to attempt to do so.  Under the Lacey Act, it is a “sale” of fish or wildlife for any person, for money or other consideration, to offer or provide guiding, outfitting, or other services.

            Lowery was indicted on Nov. 8, 2012, by a federal grand jury on one count each of violating the Lacey Act and Destruction of Evidence.  Lowery faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and one-year of supervised release.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, 2013. 

            As part of his plea agreement, Lowery has agreed to serve 30 days in jail, pay a $5,000 fine and $1,300 in restitution to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the illegally-harvested striped bass, and surrender his captain’s license for life.  As part of his plea agreement, Lowery has also agreed that he will not engage in the charter fishing industry in any capacity during the term of his supervised release. 

            In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Lowery admitted that on Jan. 15, 2010, he took a charter fishing trip into the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to fish for striped bass, knowing that it was illegal to fish for striped bass in the EEZ. When Lowery’s boat, the Anna Lynn was approached by law enforcement, Lowery attempted to flee.  When the Anna Lynn was caught, law enforcement officers observed a plastic trash barrel with 13 Striped Bass floating in the water near the Anna Lynn. The trash barrel had been thrown overboard from the Anna Lynn during the pursuit, and the striped bass contained within the trash barrel had been harvested by fishermen aboard the Anna Lynn within the EEZ.

            This case was investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fisheries, Office for Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Coast Guard with assistance from the Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau, Norfolk, Va. Office. Trial Attorney James B. Nelson of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Haynie from the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

NORFOLK, Va. – Angie L. Gilchrist, 57, of Suffolk, Va., pleaded guilty today in Norfolk federal court to health care fraud.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli made the announcement after Gilchrist’s plea was accepted by United States District Senior Judge Henry C. Morgan, Jr. 

            Gilchrist faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 when she is sentenced on May 22, 2013. 

            According to a statement of facts filed with her plea agreement, Gilchrist owned and operated A-Z Alpha Omega In-Home Personal Care Service LLC, a business located in Suffolk that was authorized to provide respite care to Medicaid recipients.  Respite care is designed to provide temporary, substitute care for a Medicaid recipient that is normally provided by the family or another unpaid primary caregiver of the recipient.  These services are provided on a short-term basis because of the emergency absence or need for routine or periodic relief of the primary caregiver.  Between October 2008 and October 2012, Gilchrist filed approximately 385 false and fraudulent claims with the Virginia Medicaid program, representing that respite care had been provided by her company to 38 Medicaid recipients, when in fact no such care had been provided.  As a result, Gilchrist obtained health care benefit payments in the approximate amount of $294,713.00 to which she was not entitled.         

            This case was investigated by the FBI and the Office of the Virginia Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Alan M. Salsbury is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Han Sa Yu, 44, a resident of Maryland who is originally from South Korea, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for using fear, violence and threats of violence to extort Korean businesses operating in Annandale, Va. Yu also agreed to pay over $98,000 in restitution to the victims of his extortion. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge James C. Cacheris.

Yu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion on Nov. 9, 2012.  According to court documents, around 2006, Yu founded the Korean Night Breeders to carry out extortions of various businesses in Annandale, including doumi, restaurants, and taxi businesses.  The Korean Night Breeders targeted businesses owned by persons of Korean descent and frequently sought out those that employed illegal aliens.  Dressed in black suits, which became their uniform, Yu and the Korean Night Breeders would surround their victims and threaten violence unless they paid a “tax” or “protection” money.  From one victim alone, the Korean Night Breeders extorted more than $30,000.  Various restaurants in Annandale either paid extortion or provided free food and drink to the Korean Night Breeders.

            Yu, also known as “Thunder” and “Bungay,” modeled the gang after Asian organized crime syndicates.  He would hold meetings where the gang would discuss potential victims, and Yu would teach fighting techniques and his extortion protocol.  The size of the gang varied, but at times had 15 or more members.  Yu and his gang used the extortion proceeds to purchase marijuana and cocaine, among other things.  Three of Yu’s co-conspirators also pled guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 22, 2013.

            This case was investigated by the Transnational Gang Unit of ICE HSI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office, with assistance from the Fairfax County Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Frank and Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Freweyni Mebrahtu, 46, of Sterling, Va., was sentenced today to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing nearly $900,000 in visitor parking fees when she was employed by Parking Management, Inc., (PMI), the company contracted to manage parking services at the Smithsonian Institution’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Scott S. Dahl, Inspector General for the Smithsonian Institution; and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.   

            Mebrahtu pled guilty on Nov. 1, 2012, to theft of public money. At sentencing, she was ordered to pay $895,680 in restitution and to forfeit an equal amount in the form of a money judgment in favor of the United States.  

Mebrahtu was a full-time employee of PMI, which managed the 2,000-vehicle parking lot at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Over the course of three years, Mebrahtu stole cash entrance fees paid by tens of thousands of museum visitors, taking upwards of $4,000 in a single day by failing to hand out parking ticket stubs to paying customers and by unplugging an electronic vehicle counter that had been installed to measure vehicle traffic. At the end of each shift, Mebrahtu would submit a daily work summary to PMI that repeatedly under-reported the true number of vehicles that had entered the parking lot through her lane. These falsified PMI reports were provided to the Smithsonian. The total loss due to her theft is calculated at $895,680. Based on the $15 entrance fee, it is estimated that Mebrahtu stole from 59,712 visitor vehicles over the course of her crime.

Instead of reporting the thefts, Mebrahtu shared advice with co-workers about how to steal money from the museum. A co-worker, Meseret Terefe, 37, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced on Jan. 18, 2013, to 20 months in prison.

The investigation was initiated by the Smithsonian Office of the Inspector General and jointly investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Jasmine Yoon and Special Assistant United States Attorney James McDonald are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

RICHMOND, Va. – Jimmy Holland Boyd, 63, of Fredericksburg, Virginia pled guilty on January 29, 2013, to failing to pay employment taxes and failing to file personal income tax returns.  As part of the plea, he admitted that he had not filed personal income tax returns since 1988 and owes the United States $350,000 in back taxes.  

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Sheila A. Olander, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States Magistrate Judge M. Hannah Lauck.  Boyd is facing a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines on the employment tax charge and 1 year in prison and $100,000 on the personal tax charge when he is sentenced by United States District Judge James R. Spencer on May 3, 2013.

At all material times, Boyd was President of Spring City Company Excavating, Inc., a Virginia-based real estate developing and excavating business.  He pled guilty to failing to pay over $5,776 in federal income and FICA taxes on $34,864.62 of wages paid to his employees for the first quarter of 2009, ending March 31, 2009, in violation of 26 U.S.C. Section 7202. 

            As part of the written statement of facts accompanying his plea, Boyd also admitted that from 2005 through 2009 he paid employees of Spring City Excavating Company approximately $248,504 in net wages that were subject to federal income and FICA taxes, but to failed to pay the $41,170.77 of federal income and FICA taxes due the United States on those wages.  Boyd also failed to issue IRS forms W-2 or 1099 to those employees.  

            Boyd also pled guilty to failing to file his personal tax return for 2007, even though he had gross income of $567,428.69 that year, in violation of 26 U.S.C. Section 7203.  In the written statement of facts, Boyd admitted that he had not filed tax returns since 1988 and also acknowledged that he owes the IRS approximately $350,000 in personal taxes. 

            This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service.  Assistant United States Attorney David T. Maguire is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Antonio Daniel McGhee of Essex, Md. was sentenced today to a total of 244 months in prison.  McGhee was convicted by a federal jury on June 22, 2012, on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, carjacking, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, James D. Newman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis. 

            On January 10, 2012, McGhee and co-defendant Gabriel D. M. Mitchell carjacked a Sears delivery truck while it was delivering appliances in Hampton, Virginia. They were given information as to the property on the truck and the delivery schedule by an employee of a Sears sub-contractor, Travis Williams, who posed as one of the two victims. The actual victim was handcuffed, duct taped, and blind folded while the Williams was barely restrained.  McGhee and Mitchell used a U-Haul truck to off load the appliances. The Sears appliances were recovered.

            During the sentencing hearing the Judge found that McGhee testified falsely during the trial in an effort to frame the actual victim of the robbery. McGhee was sentenced to 160 months in prison for his participation in the conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and carjacking, with a consecutive 84 month sentence for brandishing a firearm during the robbery. Mitchell is awaiting sentencing.

            This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and assisted by Hampton Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick and Brian J. Samuels prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – James Raymond Schimmel, 53, of Alexandria, Va., pleaded guilty today to enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C., made the announcement after the plea hearing before United States District Judge Liam O’Grady.

At sentencing on May 10, 2013, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years — and up to a lifetime — of incarceration. At the time of his arrest on Oct. 24, 2012, Schimmel was an employee of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

According to court records, Schimmel met the 17-year-old victim through the Internet and convinced the victim to meet in person for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual activity. In addition, Schimmel video recorded the sexual encounter without the victim’s knowledge.

            The case was investigated by HSI Washington, D.C., the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Virginia State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander T.H. Nguyen and Ryan K. Dickey are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

RICHMOND, Va. – Jimmy Holland Boyd, 63, of Fredericksburg, Virginia pled guilty on January 29, 2013, to failing to pay employment taxes and failing to file personal income tax returns.  As part of the plea, he admitted that he had not filed personal income tax returns since 1988 and owes the United States $350,000 in back taxes.  

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Sheila A. Olander, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States Magistrate Judge M. Hannah Lauck.  Boyd is facing a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines on the employment tax charge and 1 year in prison and $100,000 on the personal tax charge when he is sentenced by United States District Judge James R. Spencer on May 3, 2013.

At all material times, Boyd was President of Spring City Company Excavating, Inc., a Virginia-based real estate developing and excavating business.  He pled guilty to failing to pay over $5,776 in federal income and FICA taxes on $34,864.62 of wages paid to his employees for the first quarter of 2009, ending March 31, 2009, in violation of 26 U.S.C. Section 7202. 

            As part of the written statement of facts accompanying his plea, Boyd also admitted that from 2005 through 2009 he paid employees of Spring City Excavating Company approximately $248,504 in net wages that were subject to federal income and FICA taxes, but to failed to pay the $41,170.77 of federal income and FICA taxes due the United States on those wages.  Boyd also failed to issue IRS forms W-2 or 1099 to those employees.  

            Boyd also pled guilty to failing to file his personal tax return for 2007, even though he had gross income of $567,428.69 that year, in violation of 26 U.S.C. Section 7203.  In the written statement of facts, Boyd admitted that he had not filed tax returns since 1988 and also acknowledged that he owes the IRS approximately $350,000 in personal taxes. 

            This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service.  Assistant United States Attorney David T. Maguire is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Phillip Michael Bryant, 25, of Brooklyn, New York pled guilty today to three counts of murder in aid of racketeering activity. Bryant pled to the murder of Sean McCracken on or about November 1, 2009, and the murder of Johnny Avery on March 19, 2010. Both murders were committed on Lincoln Park Housing Development property in Hampton.  In addition, Bryant waived venue in New York and pled guilty to the murder of Jeremy Kane, a New York State Corrections Officer, who was killed on June 28, 2009, outside of a beauty salon in Brooklyn, New York.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Juan C. Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk Division and Thomas Townsend, Acting Chief of Hampton Police made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Robert G. Doumar.

“Phillip Bryant used threats and murder to take over a Lincoln Park public housing development and turn it into the center of operations for his drug distribution network,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Thanks to the strong case developed by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Hampton Police Division, Bryant admitted to murdering three men and will be held responsible for his reign of terror in our community.”

            Bryant was indicted in March, 2012, on drug and firearm charges. A superseding indictment charging him with racketeering and murder charges was filed in May, 2012.  According to court records, the defendant and two others from New York were part of a criminal organization known as the “Miller Time Bloods,” a neighborhood set of the national gang known as “the Bloods.”  Bryant and the others travelled to Virginia to operate a drug trafficking business and were known locally as the “New York Boys.” The members and associates engaged in trafficking cocaine base, cocaine and marijuana brought from New York for sale in Lincoln Park. The alleged gang members protected the criminal enterprise and activities through the use of intimidation, violence and threats of violence – including the murders of Sean McCracken and Johnny Avery. It is believed that Jeremy Kane was murdered as retaliation for Kane pressing charges against a gang member’s brother in New York.  Bryant faces mandatory life in prison when he is sentenced on May 7, 2013.

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force and Hampton Police Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Howard J. Zlotnick and Lisa R. McKeel are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

WASHINGTON – An Orange County, Va., man was sentenced today to serve 168 months in prison following his March 2011 guilty plea to child pornography charges that originated in three different federal districts.

The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy of the Western District of Virginia, U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia and U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida.

Anthony C. Jeffries was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon in the Western District of Virginia.  On March 28, 2011, Jeffries pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography on charges contained in an indictment filed in the Western District of Virginia and two separate one-count criminal informations originally filed in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida, each charging him with distributing child pornography.  Jeffries was sentenced to 168 months in prison for each count of distributing child pornography and 120 months in prison for possessing child pornography.  The prison sentences for each count will be served concurrently.  In addition to his prison term, Jeffries was sentenced to serve lifetime supervised release.

According to information presented in court, Jeffries assisted in running an online forum from his Orange County home that was dedicated to posting pictures and chatting about young girls. The defendant was responsible for one-fourth of the images available on the forum.

In February 2010, undercover FBI agents working in Richmond, Va., and Miami logged onto a peer-to-peer file sharing network and downloaded numerous images of child pornography from Jeffries.  In June 2010, a search warrant was obtained and computer equipment was seized from the defendant’s Virginia home.  A forensic examination of that equipment revealed thousands of image files, including images of young children engaged in sexual acts with adults.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, the Charlottesville, Va., Police Department, the University of Virginia Police Department and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Healey and Trial Attorney Darcy Katzin with the Criminal Division’s CEOS are prosecuting the case for the Western District of Virginia. Elizabeth Wu is prosecuting the case for the Eastern District of Virginia.

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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Brita Lanette Jackson, 51, of Winchester, Va., was arrested today accused of making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm. 

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James Newman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after Jackson’sinitial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis.

Jackson was arrested based on a criminal complaint and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, if convicted.

            According to court documents and court proceedings today, Jackson is alleged to have attempted to purchase a 7.62 x 39mm firearm from a licensed dealer in Manassas, Va., on May 24, 2012.  To purchase the firearm, Jackson indicated on official paperwork that she was the actual buyer of the firearm; however, Jackson allegedly intended to transfer the firearm to a male with multiple felony convictions. Court records allege that Jackson previously purchased between 15 and 20 firearms since January 2012 on behalf of the convicted felon.

The investigation was conducted by ATF’s Washington Field Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Adam B. Schwartz is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – James Douglas Manring, 54, of Fredericksburg, Va., pleaded guilty today to producing child pornography by filming his sexual abuse of several five-year-old students while teaching in Japan.Manring taught preschool in Bethesda, Md., prior to his arrest on Nov. 13, 2012.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Gary Barksdale, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after the guilty plea was accepted by United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton. 

Manring pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, for each count. 

            According to statement of facts and other court records, Manring filmed himself performing sexual acts on several students who were approximately five years of age while teaching at a preschool in Japan from 1996 till 1999.  In 1999, Manring returned the United States and brought DVDs containing the child pornography he produced with him.

            Between April 2010 and February 2011, Manring purchased approximately 46 “naturist” videos for more than $2,000.  These videos depict the graphic and simulated lascivious exhibition of the genitals and pubic areas of minor boys and were mailed from New York to Manring’s residence in Fredericksburg.

            This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division’s Child Exploitation Investigations.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Alicia J. Yass is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Christian Johnson, 24, of Hampton, pled guilty today to robbery, as well as possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Johnson was set to begin trial today in Norfolk Federal Court.

            Neil H. MacBride, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and James D. Newman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Henry C. Morgan.

            Johnson was charged in a superseding indictment returned on September 20, 2012, with three counts of robbery and two counts of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the robbery charge and a mandatory total consecutive sentence of 32 years on the firearm counts when he is sentenced on May 1, 2013 in Norfolk.

            In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Johnson admitted to robbing Approved Cash Advance located in Norfolk, on June 21, 2012, and a 7-Eleven store on Kecoughtan Road in Hampton on July 3, 2012. During both robberies he possessed and brandished a firearm. Following the 7-Eleven robbery, Johnson was seen entering a vehicle dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt, t-shirt and jeans, and wearing a black ski mask and gloves. A witness followed Johnson’s vehicle and reported it to police.  A high speed chase ensued when Johnson failed to yield to law enforcement. Johnson drove across the James River Bridge and began throwing items out of the car on the bridge.  The chase ended 30 minutes later when Johnson struck a median, lost control and crashed into several trees.  He then fled the scene on foot and was apprehended by the Virginia State Police.

            The investigation of this case was led by the ATF’s Washington Field Division, with the assistance of the Norfolk Police Department, Hampton Police Division, Chesapeake Police Department, and the Virginia State Police. Trial Attorneys Louis Crisostomo of the Organized Crime and Gang Section, and Teresa Wallbaum of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, both in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Kenneth H. DiPasquale, 37, of Morgantown, W.V., pleaded guilty on Jan. 25, 2013, to conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with his role in fraudulent mortgage loan transactions, including the sale of his own home to a buyer whose identity he had stolen and to whom he “sold” the property for a nearly $320,000 profit. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Gary Barksdale, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. 

            DiPasquale faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years on the identity theft charge when he is sentenced on May 10, 2013. 

            According to court records, DiPasquale was employed in 2007 as a loan officer at Citywide Mortgage, a mortgage lender located in Landover, Md.  DiPasquale used that position to process loans based on false and fraudulent information, including for borrowers who had not even applied for loans and who had no idea their names and identities had been used as the borrowers in the transactions.  In particular, when DiPasquale had trouble selling his own home in Bowie, Md., in October 2007, he stole the identity of an individual living in Arlington, Va., and “sold” this victim his house at a nearly $320,000 profit.  The transaction involved fraudulent loan documents and an associate playing the role of the buyer at closing.  The victim had no idea the property had been purchased in his name until the loans defaulted, the lenders came collecting, and the homeowner’s association sued the unsuspecting victim for unpaid dues. 

            Co-defendant Lyle C. Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy and identity theft charges on Nov. 8, 2012, and will be sentenced on Feb.15, 2013. 

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant United States Attorneys Paul J. Nathanson and Chad Golder are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

RICHMOND, Va. – Philip Michael Sebolt, 32, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Petersburg, Va., was sentenced to life in prison today for advertising child pornography. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II, Attorney General of Virginia; and Gary Barksdale, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge John A. Gibney. 

            Sebolt was convicted at a bench trial on Sept. 13, 2012, of one count of advertising child pornography.  According to the evidence presented at trial and court documents in the case, in February 2010, while searching the property of an inmate who was being released from FCI Petersburg, prison officials intercepted dozens of envelopes Sebolt was attempting to smuggle out of the prison.  Fifteen of the envelopes were addressed to individuals in foreign countries and contained a flyer Sebolt created soliciting the production of child pornography.  The flyer contained detailed instructions on the type of pictures the defendant sought and included a pay scale listing how much money Sebolt would pay for a photograph depicting a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  According to the flyer, Sebolt would pay more money for photographs that depicted children engaged in more severe sexually explicit conduct.  The back of the flyer contained pictures of nude children, as well as sketches of children's genitalia in various positions. 

            Prison officials discovered the nude pictures and sketches in Sebolt's cell, and an expert handwriting analysis confirmed that it was highly probable that Sebolt created the flyer.  At the time of the offense, Sebolt was serving a 30-year sentence for advertising child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.  He also has two prior convictions for predatory criminal sexual abuse of a child from Illinois.

The case was investigated by officials at FCI Petersburg and the United States Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Wu and Special Assistant United States Attorney Tommy Johnstone of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Former CIA officer John Kiriakou, 48, of Arlington, Va., was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for  revealing to a journalist the identity of a man whose 20-plus-year career as a covert CIA agent had never been disclosed publicly. Kiriakou also admitted in court that he disclosed information revealing the role of another CIA employee in classified activities.

Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

On Oct. 23, 2012, Kiriakou pled guilty to one count of intentionally disclosing information identifying a covert agent. As part of the plea agreement, the United States and Kiriakou agreed that a sentence of 30 months in prison was the appropriate disposition of this case. 

“John Kiriakou betrayed the trust bestowed upon him by the United States and he betrayed his colleagues whose secrecy is their only safety,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride.  “In his own words to the FBI, John Kiriakou called actions such as his, ‘immoral’ and the potential damage done ‘terrifying.’ John Kiriakou put the life of a covert officer at risk; he put the officer’s family in danger; and he exposed our nation’s vital secrets. Oaths matter and today’s sentence should serve as reminder to those who are entrusted with classified information that damage done by leaks is not speculative or hypothetical – it is actual and substantial, and the Justice Department will hold them accountable.”

“Mr. Kiriakou was entrusted with the important responsibility of protecting the identities of America’s covert operatives,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Smith. “Instead of protecting this classified information, he revealed it, thereby threatening their personal safety as well as our nation’s security. Together with our intelligence community partners, the FBI will continue to investigate those who violate this special trust.”

According to court records, the case is a result of an investigation triggered by a classified filing in January 2009 by defense counsel for high-value detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This filing contained classified information the defense had not been given through official government channels, including information about certain government employees and contractors.  The investigation revealed that on multiple occasions one of the journalists to whom Kiriakou illegally disclosed classified information, in turn, disclosed that information to a defense team investigator. This information was reflected in the classified defense filing and enabled the defense team to take or obtain surveillance photographs of government personnel.  The investigation concluded that no laws were broken by the defense team.

Kiriakou was a CIA intelligence officer between 1990 and 2004, serving at headquarters and in various classified overseas assignments. Upon joining the CIA in 1990 and on multiple occasions in following years, Kiriakou signed secrecy and non-disclosure agreements not to disclose classified information to unauthorized individuals. In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Kiriakou admitted that he made illegal disclosures about two CIA employees and their involvement in classified operations to two journalists (referenced as “Journalist A” and “Journalist B” in court records) on multiple occasions between 2007 and 2009. 

            Court records indicate that the emails seized during the investigation revealed that Kiriakou disclosed information to journalists about dozens of CIA officers, including numerous covert officers of the National Clandestine Service beyond the one identified in the defense filing by lawyers for the high-value detainees in Guantanamo Bay. The government raised this with the court to demonstrate that the charged conduct was in no sense aberrational or reflective of an atypical lapse of judgment.

Kiriakou admitted that, through a series of emails with Journalist A, he disclosed the full name of a CIA officer (referred to as “Covert Officer A” in court records) whose association with the CIA had been classified for more than two decades. In addition to identifying the officer for the journalist, Kiriakou also provided information to the journalist that linked the officer to a CIA counterterrorism program known as the Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation Program and a particular RDI operation.

In addition, Kiriakou admitted that he disclosed to Journalists A and B the name and contact information of a CIA officer, identified in court records as “Officer B,” along with his association with an operation to capture terrorism subject Abu Zubaydah in 2002. Kiriakou knew that the association of Officer B with the Abu Zubaydah operation was classified.  Based in part on this information, Journalist B subsequently published a June 2008 front-page story in The New York Times disclosing Officer B’s alleged role in the Abu Zubaydah operation.

Kiriakou provided this information to journalists without inquiring what the journalists would do with the information. Without Kiriakou’s knowledge, Journalist A passed the information he obtained from Kiriakou to an investigator assisting in the defense of high-value detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The investigator had been unable to successfully identify either officer until he received this information from Journalist A, which led to Officer B being secretly photographed and his photographs being tendered to high-value terrorist detainees – a result Kiriakou himself described as “terrifying.”

            Kiriakou also admitted that he lied to the CIA regarding the existence and use of a classified technique, referred to as a “magic box,” while seeking permission from the CIA’s Publications Review Board to include the classified technique in a book.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Central Intelligence Agency and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris Lan of the Southern District of New York, Mark E. Schneider and Ryan Fayhee of the Northern District of Illinois, and W. Neil Hammerstrom, Jr. of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. 

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NORFOLK, Va. - Laquan Draper, 21, and Angelo Draper, 20, both of Portsmouth, Va., were convicted today by a federal jury on charges stemming from a series of convenience store and fast food restaurant robberies over an eight week period in the summer of 2011.

            Neil H. McBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the verdicts were accepted by Senior United States District Judge Robert G. Doumar.

            The Draper brothers were convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery, 12 counts of commercial robbery, and discharging a firearm during a robbery.  Also, Laquan Draper was convicted of the robbery of the ABC Store on Little Creek Road in Norfolk and possession of a firearm by a felon.  They were found not guilty of four related counts in the indictment.

They are facing a minimum mandatory sentence of ten (10) years and a maximum life sentence in prison when they are sentenced on May 6, 2013.

            According to court records and evidence at trial, the Drapers started an eight-week robbery spree in July, 2011, spanning Norfolk to Roanoke, Va.  The brothers, concealing their identities with shirts tied around their faces, entered 7-11 convenience stores with either firearms or replica firearms, jumped over the counter and took money from store employees.  The men also convicted of conspiring to rob employees of twenty establishments, including numerous 7-Eleven stores, two McDonald's, a Wendy's, an ABC Store, and a Fast Auto Loans location.  At one of the locations, the Got It Video in Norfolk, the Drapers and a co-conspirator shot out the locked front door, shattering the glass and entered the store to commit the robbery, holding customers and clerks at gun-point. 

            After a twenty-minute, multi-vehicle high speed police pursuit, the brothers were arrested in Chesapeake on August 25, 2011 after they crashed the stolen Saturn Vue they were driving into a police vehicle, injuring two Chesapeake detectives.  A .22 caliber hand-gun was found in the passenger floor board of the stolen vehicle when the men were removed. Additional evidence recovered from the car was linked forensically to several of the crime scenes.

            This case was investigated by the Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach Police Departments; the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Department; the Roanoke County Police and the Roanoke City Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Sherrie S. Capotosto and Special Assistant United States Attorney Amy E. Cross are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

            A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Andrew Lee Liesman, and his twin brother, Randall Scott Liesman, both 25, of Newport News, pled guilty January 22, 2013, to receipt of child pornography.

            Neil H. MacBride for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the pleas were accepted by United States District Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard.

            The Liesman brothers were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography, as well as numerous charges of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. A search warrant was obtained after they distributed child pornography to undercover officers. They were arrested following execution of the search warrant and both confessed to downloading child pornography. Both men face up to 20 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release when they are sentenced on April 23, 2013.

The case was investigated by FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. McKeel is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NORFOLK, Va. – Janice W. Holland, 42, of Suffolk, Va., was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for health care fraud and alteration of records, and a mandatory consecutive sentence of 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft, for a total sentence of 75 months.  She was also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Medicaid program in the amount of $630,339.30. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli made the announcement after sentencing by Senior United States District Judge Robert G. Doumar.

Holland pled guilty on September 18, 2012. According to court documents, Holland owned and operated A Caring Hand Home Health Care Services Inc., a business located in Suffolk that was authorized to provide respite care to Medicaid recipients.  Respite care is designed to provide temporary, substitute care for a Medicaid recipient that is normally provided by the family or another unpaid primary caregiver of the recipient.  These services are provided on a short-term basis because of the emergency absence or need for routine or periodic relief of the primary caregiver.  Between January 2008 and October 2011, Holland filed approximately 939 false and fraudulent claims with the Virginia Medicaid program, representing that respite care had been provided by her company to 30 Medicaid recipients, when in fact no such care had been provided.  She filed these claims using, without authority, the recipients’ names, dates of birth and Medicaid identification numbers.  As a result, Holland obtained health care benefit payments in the approximate amount of $630,339.30, to which she was not entitled.  She also altered and falsified her office records to conceal and cover up her false billings.  

            This case was investigated by the FBI and the Office of the Virginia Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Alan M. Salsbury and Special Assistant United States Attorney David W. Tooker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Kevin Wirth Jannell, 49, of Fredericksburg, Va., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for taking more than $350,000 in bribes to ensure a Virginia Railway Express (VRE) subcontractor would be retained by VRE.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Kathryn Jones, Regional Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. 

In addition to the 24-month sentence, the court ordered Jannell to forfeit $357,000 and provide 100 hours of community service. 

“Bribes should never be just another cost of doing business with the government,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Kevin Jannell abused his position by padding his paycheck each month and playing favorites in a contracting process that should be honest and transparent. Today’s sentence will go a long way toward rebuilding the public’s trust and demonstrating that those who corrupt the contracting process will spend years in prison paying for their crimes.”

            “Mr. Jannell held a position of trust in which he was expected to impartially oversee contracts for upkeep and maintenance of VRE facilities.  Instead, he took money to improve his own standing and corrupted the contracting process,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Smith.  “Government corruption at any level is the FBI’s top criminal priority, and the Washington Field Office continues to demonstrate that we will investigate and pursue all those who choose to use their official position for personal gain.”

            Jannell pled guilty on Sept. 27, 2012, to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. A former facilities manager for VRE, Jannell provided oversight of VRE contracts for individuals and companies providing landscaping and maintenance of VRE stations and facilities. Beginning in 2003, Jannell accepted monthly payments of up to $4,000 in return for giving favorable evaluations that would ensure an individual and this person’s company would be retained as a subcontractor for VRE.

Jannell concealed the bribes by creating a nominee company and sent monthly invoices to the subcontractor from that company, falsely billing the company for services that were never rendered. The forfeiture order states that Jannell received $357,000 in proceeds from his crime.

            Authorities request that anyone with information regarding this case or similar allegations of fraud or corruption to call the FBI’s Northern Virginia Public Corruption and Government Fraud Tip Line at (703) 686-6225 or send an email to: nova.corruption@ic.fbi.gov. 

This ongoing investigation was initiated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Lytle and Jasmine Yoon from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia’s Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Meseret Terefe, 37, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today to 20months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing approximately $487,000 of visitor parking fees belonging to the Smithsonian Institution’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Scott S. Dahl, Inspector General for the Smithsonian Institution; and Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge T. S. Ellis III. 

            Terefe was also ordered to pay $487,515 in restitution and forfeit the same amount, including $218,000 in cash recovered following his arrest.

 Terefe pleaded guilty on Sept. 28, 2012.  According to court documents, Terefe admitted that from March 2009 and continuing through July 2012, he was an employee of Parking Management, Inc. (PMI) and worked as a booth attendant at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center parking lot.  The Udvar-Hazy Center is the annex location of the Air & Space Museum and is home to the Space Shuttle Discovery and other historic aircraft.  These two Smithsonian sites display the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in the world.  PMI began managing the Center’s parking lot, which holds approximately 2,000 vehicles, in March 2009. 

Terefe admitted that he began stealing parking fees in late 2009 by either repeatedly unplugging the electronic vehicle counters installed in the parking booths or by not handing customers a serialized parking ticket to display in the car windshield after they paid their entrance fee. These tactics allowed Terefe to underreport the true number of vehicles entering the facility. He and other booth attendants discussed tactics for stealing parking revenues, and Terefe stated that one of his managers approached him and demanded that Terefe pay him half of the stolen proceeds in order to continue his criminal activity. 

Terefe stole between $1,800 and nearly $4,500 during a daily shift working at the Smithsonian, and the three-year loss to the Smithsonian attributable to Terefe is approximately $487,000.  Terefe stored a portion of the cash proceeds at his residence in Silver Spring and used some of the proceeds to purchase an interest in commercial property in Ethiopia.  

            The investigation was initiated by the Smithsonian Office of the Inspector General and jointly investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Jasmine Yoon from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia’s Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit and Special Assistant United States Attorney James McDonald prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

RICHMOND, Va. – Whitney Hayes, 21, of Charlotte, NC, was sentenced today to 57months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to transport an individual across state lines for prostitution. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffrey C. Mazanec, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and D.A. Middleton, Chief of Police for the Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson. 

“The world of sex trafficking is vile and horrific – and unfortunately, it’s happening right here in Central Virginia,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Ms. Hayes found a 13-year-old girl living on the streets and exploited the child’s vulnerability for profit. She taught the victim the business of prostitution and lived with her in hotels for two months while the victim’s family desperately searched for their child. Our utmost priority is to protect our children, and we will continue to go after those who prey on them and lure them into the sexual trade.”

            Hayes plead guilty on September 27, 2012, to conspiracy to transport an individual across state lines for purpose of prostitution.  According to court documents, Hayes worked as a prostitute for Korey Reynolds in the Charlotte area from 2011 through 2012.  In a statement of facts filed with her plea agreement, Hayes admitted that in February or March 2012, she met a 13-year old female while she and Reynolds were in Miami, Florida.  She recruited the 13-year old to join the prostitution organization.  Once they were back in Charlotte, Hayes taught the juvenile the business of prostitution, including posting internet advertisements offering the female as a prostitute to prospective customers.  In May 2012, she, Reynolds and another female transported the juvenile from Charlotte to Richmond, Virginia, with the intent that the juvenile engage in prostitution while in Virginia.      

            This case was investigated by the FBI and the Henrico County Police Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Jamie L. Mickelson prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Ronald Wayne Carr, 38, of Newport News, Va., has been indicted by a federal grand jury accused of participating in twenty-eight armed robberies in Hampton, Newport News and York County. Prior to Carr’s arrest on December 27, 2012, he was known as the “fake beard” robber.

            Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James Newman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the indictment was returned.

The indictment charges Carr with interference with commerce by robbery, under a federal statute that makes it a federal crime to rob a business whose operations affect interstate commerce. According to the indictment, Carr committed armed robberies within three separate jurisdictions in Hampton Roads from December 18, 2010 through November 16, 2012.  Some of the businesses were robbed multiple times. The robberies occurred at the following businesses - the Auto Zone Store in York County and Hampton; Dollar General in Newport News; Advance Auto Store in Hampton and Newport News;  Family Dollar Store in Hampton and Newport News; Captain D’s Restaurant in Newport News; Long John Silver Restaurant in Hampton; and,  Bojangle’s Restaurant in Hampton. 

            The indictment alleges that in the course of the robberies Carr brandished a firearm and pointed the firearm at employees and demanded money belonging to the businesses. The combined total losses from the twenty-eight businesses exceed $47,000.

This investigation is being conducted by ATF’s Washington Field Division, Hampton Police Department, Newport News Police Department and the York County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bradenham, II is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Randell Lamont Woods, 24, of Hampton, Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 66months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Anton A. Bell, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Hampton, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.Woods pled guilty on June 11, 2012. 

According to court documents, on December 27, 2011, Woods planned a drug delivery in the parking lot of the Hampton Walmart. During the course of the drug deal, twenty-five shots were exchanged between Christopher Vinson, David Andrews, and a third individual. Woods was armed with a stolen .45 caliber firearm and provided cover to Andrews during the shootout. Woods and Andrews retreated to a nearby motel where they surrendered to Hampton Police after a seven hour standoff.

            Christopher Vinson pled guilty to his participation in the crime on April 23, 2012 and was sentenced on September 10, 2012, to 96 months in prison and three years of supervised release. David Andrews pled guilty on June 5, 2012, and was sentenced on September 24, 2012, to 228 months in prison and five years of supervised release.          

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hampton Police Division.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Murphy prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Randell Lamont Woods, 24, of Hampton, Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 66months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Anton A. Bell, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Hampton, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.Woods pled guilty on June 11, 2012. 

According to court documents, on December 27, 2011, Woods planned a drug delivery in the parking lot of the Hampton Walmart. During the course of the drug deal, twenty-five shots were exchanged between Christopher Vinson, David Andrews, and a third individual. Woods was armed with a stolen .45 caliber firearm and provided cover to Andrews during the shootout. Woods and Andrews retreated to a nearby motel where they surrendered to Hampton Police after a seven hour standoff.

            Christopher Vinson pled guilty to his participation in the crime on April 23, 2012 and was sentenced on September 10, 2012, to 96 months in prison and three years of supervised release. David Andrews pled guilty on June 5, 2012, and was sentenced on September 24, 2012, to 228 months in prison and five years of supervised release.          

            This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hampton Police Division.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Murphy prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Virginia man was sentenced today in federal court to serve one year and one day in prison for selling counterfeit General Motors (GM) automotive diagnostic devices  used by mechanics to identify problems with and assure the safety of motor vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Assistant Director Ronald T. Hosko of the Criminal Investigative Division and Jeffrey C. Mazanec, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office.

Justin DeMatteo, 31, of Saxe, Va., was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton in the Eastern District of Virginia, following his Sept. 26, 2012, guilty plea to one count of trafficking in goods bearing counterfeit marks.  In addition to his prison term, DeMatteo was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $328,500 (the full amount of GM’s losses).  At DeMatteo’s plea proceeding, the court entered a consent order of forfeiture requiring him to forfeit $109,074 in criminal proceeds and all facilitating property and contraband seized during the execution of search warrants at his business and home on Dec. 15, 2011.

In court documents, DeMatteo admitted he sold counterfeit GM Corporation-branded “Tech 2” vehicle diagnostic systems between January and May 2011.  The Tech 2 is a hand-held computer used to diagnose problems in vehicles that use electronic controls and interfaces. For newer vehicles, GM designed a new diagnostic interface – the Controller Area Network diagnostic interface (CANdi) module, which serves as an enhancement to the Tech 2 and completes the interface necessary to communicate with future on-board computer systems. 

DeMatteo also admitted he offered for sale purported Tech 2 units and CANdi modules that bore counterfeit GM marks.  DeMatteo sold the counterfeit Tech 2 units on eBay and accepted payment via PayPal.  DeMatteo purchased the units from unauthorized manufacturers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and in many cases had them drop-shipped directly from the PRC to U.S. customers.  On Dec. 15, 2011, federal agents executed search warrants at DeMatteo’s residence in Saxe and place of business in South Boston, Va.  Among other things, agents seized numerous counterfeit GM Tech 2 units and CANdi modules, and various computer equipment and documents that contained evidence linking DeMatteo to the sale of the counterfeit Tech 2 units.  According to the stipulated statement of facts and plea agreement, the number of Tech 2 and CANdi units sold by DeMatteo or seized during the searches totaled nearly 100.  The retail price of 100 authentic products would have been more than $380,000.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Kelly of the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Evan Williams of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and was investigated by the FBI’s Intellectual Property Rights Unit, as part of “Operation Engine Newity,” an international initiative targeting the production and distribution of counterfeit automotive products that impact the safety of the consumer, and the FBI Richmond Division. 

The FBI is a full partner at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center).  The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government’s key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy.  The IPR Center uses the expertise of its 19 member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to intellectual property (IP) theft.  Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the public’s health and safety, the U.S. economy and the war fighters.  To report IP theft or to learn more about the IPR Center, visit www.IPRCenter.gov.

The sentencing announced today was the result of one of many enforcement efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force). Attorney General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers, and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation, and hard work.  The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners and U.S. industry leaders. To learn more about the IP Task Force, go to www.justice.gov/dag/iptaskforce/.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The owners of a Woodbridge, Va.-based home health care business have been convicted by a federal jury in Alexandria, Va., for submitting numerous false claims to Medicaid for reimbursement for services they did not provide.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ken Cuccinelli, Attorney General of Virginia; and Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

Irvine Johnston King, 46, and Aisha Rashidatu King, 40, of Woodbridge, were convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; 22 counts of health care fraud, which each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and two counts of aggravated identity theft, which carry a consecutive mandatory penalty of two years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 22, 2013.

According to court records and evidence at trial, the Kings owned and operated Bright Beginnings Healthcare Services, a business that provided in-home personal and respite care and private duty nursing services to Medicaid-eligible individuals.  From at least March 2008 through June 2011, the Kings defrauded Medicaid by submitting false claims to Medicaid for services that were not provided, providing fabricated documentation in connection with an audit, and instructing an employee to lie to Medicaid about claims billed by Bright Beginnings.  In addition, the Kings instructed an employee to convince a patient’s mother to lie to Medicaid regarding the false claims and asked the parent of a patient to sign blank Medicaid time sheets that were used as a basis to bill Medicaid for services that the Kings knew had not been performed.

The Kings also used – without lawful authority to do so – the name, date of birth, and insurance identification number of a patient on claims seeking reimbursement from Medicaid.

The investigation was conducted by FBI Washington Field Office and the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Belevetz and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and Virginia Assistant Attorney General Steven W. Grist of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

Pistol Purchased on Nov. 17, 2012, Allegedly Recovered on Nov. 30, 2012 During Arrest of Suspected Narcotics Trafficker

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Kimberly Yvette Dinkins, 44, of Manassas, Va., has been indicted by a federal grand jury accused of purchasing more than 25 firearms to illegally sell to others, along with lying to federal agents about those purchases.

            Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James Newman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after the indictment was returned.

“Kimberly Dinkins is accused of purchasing a high volume of handguns in 15 days, at least one of which made it into the hands of a suspected drug trafficker,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Illegal gun dealing is a serious crime, and we applaud the ATF for their quick work in putting this case together.”

“When offenders indiscriminately put guns on the streets that can be used against our citizens, our children and our community, ATF takes this very seriously,” said ATF Acting SAC Newman. “ATF’s mission and priority is to deny criminals access to firearms and to protect the rights of law abiding citizens.”

            On Jan. 10, 2013, Dinkins was indicted and charged with dealing firearms without a license and making a materially false statement, which each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, if convicted. She was previously charged through a criminal complaint and arrested on Dec. 13, 2012, and she has remained in federal custody since her arrest pending further court action.

            According to court records, Dinkins does not have a license to deal in firearms. From Nov. 17, 2012, through Dec. 1, 2012, she attended three Virginia gun shows on three consecutive weekends and allegedly purchased more than 25 semi-automatic handguns from dealers. One of the firearms allegedly purchased by Dinkins at a gun show in Chantilly, Va., the weekend of Nov. 16-18, 2012, was recovered during the arrest of a suspected narcotics trafficker on Nov. 30, 2012 in Prince George’s County, Md.

            The indictment alleges that during an interview on Dec. 3, 2012, Dinkins falsely stated that she had sold all of the firearms she had purchased at the three gun shows, despite still being in possession of some of the firearms.

This investigation is being conducted by ATF’s Washington Field Division.  Special Assistant United States Attorney L. Rush Atkinson and Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Criminal indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Yonathan Melaku, 24, of Alexandria, Va., was sentenced today to 25 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for damaging property and firearm violations involving five separate shootings at military installations in Northern Virginia between October and November 2010 and attempting to injure veterans’ memorials at Arlington National Cemetery.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.

On Jan. 26, 2012, Melaku pled guilty to a three-count information that included injuring property of the United States, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and attempted injury to veterans’ memorials on U.S. property. The defense and government jointly recommended in the plea agreement a sentence of 25 years in prison.

 “Yonathan Melaku is a self-radicalized terrorist who carried out a campaign of fear that escalated until his arrest,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “He took calculated steps to target specific military buildings, cover up his crimes, and plan even more destruction should his message not be heard. This sentence is just punishment for the danger he poses to our community.”

            “The partnerships and resources shared on the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force enhanced the investigation into the multiple shootings that threatened our region and ultimately resulted in today’s sentence,” said FBI Acting ADIC Smith. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners who make up the JTTF including Prince William County Police, Virginia State Police, Fairfax and Arlington Police, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Park Police, and Pentagon Force Protection Agency, as well as the Military District of Washington and the U.S. Marine Corps for their dedicated work throughout this investigation.”

            According to court records, Melaku carried out a series of five shootings from Oct. 17, 2010, through Nov. 2, 2010, at the following locations: the National Museum of the Marine Corps (twice), the Pentagon, a Marine Corps recruiting sub-station in Chantilly, Va., and a U.S. Coast Guard recruiting office in Woodbridge, Va. Each shooting took place late at night or early in the morning and involved multiple 9mm rounds fired at each building. The cost for repairs at the facilities exceeded $100,000.

During the second shooting at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Melaku set up a video camera within the interior of his vehicle to record the shooting incident. The video shows Melaku repeatedly firing a handgun out the passenger-side window, and he narrates the incident on the video and states, among other things: That’s my target. That’s the military building. It’s going to be attacked” and at the conclusion of multiple shots, exclaiming “Allahu Akbar” repeatedly.

            Melaku attempted to flee law enforcement after being spotted on the property of Ft. Myer in Arlington, Va., at approximately 1:30 a.m. on June 17, 2011. During the pursuit, he dropped a backpack that contained numerous spent 9mm shell casings; four bags containing ammonium nitrate, and a spiral notebook with numerous Arabic statements referencing the Taliban, al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, “The Path to Jihad,” as well as a list of several other individuals associated with foreign terrorist organizations.

At the time of his apprehension, Melaku was attempting to enter the area of Arlington National Cemetery containing graves of deceased Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, intending to desecrate and injure the grave markers by spray-painting the markers with Arabic statements and by leaving the ammonium nitrate he was carrying at the sites of the grave markers.

            On June 17, 2011, during a search of his residence, FBI search teams found Melaku had stored within the bedroom closet of his residence a typed list titled “Timer” that included nine items that Melaku admitted are consistent with what would be required to construct the firing mechanism for an explosive device. Four of those items had been crossed through.

            In interviews with law enforcement after his arrest, Melaku said he targeted military-associated buildings to send a message that the U.S. should not be involved in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and to intimidate those who supported U.S. involvement. He planned to desecrate nearly 2,400 grave markers at Arlington National Cemetery and leave ammonium nitrate at the scene to instill fear in the public. He stated that he planned further crimes, including blowing up a military fuel truck, if his message was not heard.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the police departments of Arlington County, Fairfax County and Prince William County; the Pentagon Force Protection Agency; the Virginia State Police; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Coast Guard Investigative Service; the U.S. Park Police; U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico; and the Military District of Washington Provost Marshal Office. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Grooms, Neil Hammerstrom, and Lynn Haaland of the National Security and International Crime Unit are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NORFOLK, Va. – Jeffery S. Adams, 41, of Hudgins, Va., and his corporation Adams Fishing Adventures Inc. pleaded guilty today to trafficking in illegally-harvested striped bass, in violation of the Lacey Act.  Among other things, the Lacey Act makes it unlawful for any person to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase any fish and wildlife taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of any law or regulation of the United States, or to attempt to do so.  Under the Lacey Act, it is a “sale” of fish or wildlife for any person, for money or other consideration, to offer or provide guiding, outfitting, or other services.  

            Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. 

Adams and Adams Fishing Adventures were indicted on Nov. 8, 2012, by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy, Lacey Act violations and false statements.  Adams faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as forfeiture of the fishing vessel used during the commission of the crimes.  Adams Fishing Adventures Inc. faces a maximum fine of $500,000, as well as forfeiture of the fishing vessels used during the commission of the crimes.  Sentencing is set for April 18, 2013.

            In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Adams and Adams Fishing Adventures admitted that they sold a charter striped bass fishing trip on Jan. 19, 2010, for $800.  As part of that charter fishing trip, Adams knowingly took his charter clients into the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to harvest striped bass, even though Adams knew that it was a violation of federal law to harvest striped bass inside the EEZ.  Adams’ clients illegally harvested 10 striped bass within the EEZ on Jan. 19, 2010, and Adams then transported the illegally harvested striped bass back to Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach, Va., where the sale of Adams’ charter fishing services was finalized. 

            This case was investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Fisheries, Office for Law Enforcement, and the Virginia Marine Police with assistance from the Federal Communications Commission Enforcement Bureau, Norfolk, Va. Office.  Trial Attorney James B. Nelson of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Haynie from the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

RICHMOND, Va. – Eric Brown, 49, of Richmond, Va., pleaded guilty today to stealing a truck that contained audio and visual equipment belonging to the office of the President of the United States. 

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David E. Beach, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service’s Washington Field Office; Jeffrey C. Mazanec, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and D.A. Middleton, Chief of Police for the Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge John A. Gibney.

Brown was indicted on December 4, 2013, and pled guilty today to theft of government property.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 11, 2013.  As part of the plea agreement, the United States and Brown agree that a sentence of 7 years in prison is the appropriate disposition of this case.

            Court documents show that on Oct. 16, 2011, a truck containing audio equipment utilized by the President of the United States during public appearances was reported stolen in Henrico County.  The theft occurred at a hotel a few days prior to a speaking engagement that the President was attending in Central Virginia.  Video surveillance from the hotel depicted a dark colored SUV driving into the hotel lot.  Shortly thereafter, the truck containing the President’s equipment was driven off of the lot.  Immediately thereafter, a dark colored SUV followed the truck containing the President’s equipment off of the hotel lot.  Court documents revealed the truck contained a laptop computer and other audio visual equipment bearing the Presidential seal.  The equipment had a value of approximately $200,000.

            In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Brown admitted to telling others about his role in the theft, selling the laptop, and possessing audio visual equipment that still contained the Presidential seal.  Law enforcement officers also obtained cell phone site data that showed Brown was in the vicinity of the truck at the time it was stolen.  Some of the equipment was recovered from pawn shops in Prince Georges County, Maryland, and in Montgomery County, Maryland.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, the Henrico County Police Department, and the Chesterfield Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Roderick C. Young is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NORFOLK, Va. – Huffman Earl Monk, 52, Brookwood, Ala., pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and paying bribes to a U.S. Coast Guard Transportation Officer.  

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Otis E. Harris, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Chesapeake Region; and Michael P. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis. 

            Monk was indicted on May 23, 2012, by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and paying bribes to a public official.  Monk faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced before Judge Mark S. Davis on April 24, 2013. 

“In two years, Mr. Monk paid out more than $220,000 in bribes to Dunn in exchange for receiving over-priced and false shipping contracts,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Rooting out criminals who abuse the public’s trust strengthens the integrity of – and our confidence in – the government’s procurement process.”

            “As a steward of public funds, the Coast Guard Surface Forces Logistics Center holds its members and contracting partners to high standards of conduct,” said Special Agent in Charge Harris. “We will continue to work closely with Coast Guard units and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and deal appropriately with threats to the integrity of the contracting process wherever they may occur.”

            According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Monk was the owner and operator of 12 fright brokerage companies that were headquartered in a single office in Brookwood, Ala. Many of Monk’s freight brokerage companies contracted with Department of Defense Transportation Command (TransCom) to ship military-related freight.  Nathan Allen Dunn was an active duty U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Petty Officer assigned as a Transportation Administrator at the Surface Forces Logistics Center in Norfolk, Va.  Dunn’s primary duty was to coordinate the shipping of large freight such as boats, trailers, generators, etc. between USCG bases located throughout the United States.  Dunn utilized the TransCom automated system to bid out and then contract the shipments with authorized freight brokerage companies

            In September 2009, Monk traveled to Norfolk to meet with Dunn and told him that in exchange for Dunn issuing USCG freight contracts to Monk’s freight companies, Monk would kickback a percentage of the profits to Dunn.  Dunn agreed to Monk’s offer and, shortly thereafter, the Monk began offering monetary bribes to Dunn by providing him with debit cards linked to several of Monk’s business bank accounts.  In order to inflate the profits Monk and Dunn would make from each contract Monk encouraged Dunn to fraudulently manipulate various data entered into the TransCom computer system in order to artificially inflate the price of the shipping contracts Dunn steered to Monk’s companies.  Monk and Dunn also engaged in creating false shipping contracts for shipments that did not exist, and thereafter awarding the contract and profits to one or more of Monk’s companies.  Since no freight was actually being shipped pursuant to these false contracts, the USCG payments to Monk was all profit, resulting in Dunn also receiving a larger kickback from Monk.  Over a two-year period, Monk paid out over $220,000 in bribe payments to Dunn.  The total fraud loss to the United States based on these fraudulent military shipping contracts was over $1 million.

            The military has recently implemented a number of internal changes to TransCom’s computer systems to enhance the integrity of the bidding and contracting process used by Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security Transportation Officers.

This investigation was brought as part of the Hampton Roads Procurement Fraud Initiative, a collaboration of defense investigative agencies, Inspectors General, and law enforcement dedicated to strengthening the integrity of the federal procurement system.

This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General, Washington Field Office, with the cooperation and assistance of the Coast Guard Surface Forces Logistics Center.  Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen W. Haynie and V. Kathleen Dougherty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Patrick Dubois, 57, and Glenn Dubois, 36, of Williamsburg, Va., were sentenced Monday.  Patrick Dubois received 152months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and Glenn Dubois received 192 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  On December 15, 2011, search warrants were executed at five locations in James City and York counties which located significant evidence of methamphetamine manufacturing. Glenn and Patrick Dubois admitted to buying pseudoephedrine for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine and in fact manufactured methamphetamine over the course of 2011.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis.

Both Glenn and Patrick Dubois pleaded guilty on May 3, 2012, to possessing precursors with intent to manufacture methamphetamines.

According to court documents, a total of nine individuals were involved in the manufacturing of methamphetamine over five different properties in Williamsburg and York County.  They went together to purchase pseudoephedrine at multiple locations over an extended period. 

The following individuals involved previously pled guilty:

• David Black, 56, scheduled for sentencing on 2/1/13;
• Richard Savage, 65, sentenced to 70 months;
• Mitchell Jacobs, 56, scheduled for sentencing on 1/28/13
• Lori Dennis, 31, sentenced to 66 months;
• Amy Savage, 44, sentenced to 70 months;
• Sheri Black,  56, scheduled for sentencing on 2/1/13;
• Heidi McMahon, 48, scheduled for sentencing on 2/27/13.

 
This case was investigated by the Drug enforcement Administration and the Virginia State Police Tri-Rivers Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney Eric M. Hurt prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Bettina Bugg, 30, of Newport News, Va., has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for lying to a federal grand jury.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Mark S. Davis on January 4, 2013.

Bugg pled guilty on July 6, 2012.  According to court documents Bugg was subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury in Newport News related to the investigation of a double homicide. The father of one of her children was identified as a suspect in the homicides. Bugg lied under oath in front of the grand jury and then approached a government witness and asked her to lie about the obstructive conduct.

            “Bettina Bugg made a mockery of the grand jury system by lying during a murder investigation and trying to get someone else to lie as well,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “This tough sentence should be a clear warning that lying to a federal grand jury is a serious crime that could result in years behind bars.”

            This case was investigated by FBI, Newport News Police Department, Virginia State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Eric M. Hurt prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

                     A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Marcos Sanchez Hernandez, also known as “Marquito,” 37, an illegal alien from Mexico who lived in Riverdale, Md., was sentenced today to 36 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for transporting more than 100 women from other states to engage in commercial sex in Virginia.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II, Attorney General of Virginia; and John P. Torres, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C., made the announcement sentencing by United States District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.

            “For years, Sanchez Hernandez ran a sex trafficking ring that reached into our communities here in Virginia and out to our neighboring states,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Today, he learned what we hope other sex traffickers are rapidly discovering – sex trafficking is not a viable business enterprise in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and those who engage in it will face lengthy prison time when caught.”

            “Sanchez Hernandez profited for years from his multi-state sex trafficking ring,” said HSI SAC Torres. “HSI DC does not tolerate the exploitation of others and is committed to bringing to justice those who are involved in the sex trafficking industry.”

            Sanchez Hernandez pled guilty on Oct. 15, 2012, to conspiracy to transport women to engage in prostitution. According to court records, from 2005 through July 2012 Sanchez Hernandez was part of a network that transported women to engage in commercial sex acts in Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, and various locations in Virginia, including Fairfax County, Prince William County, Alexandria, Arlington, Newport News, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach.  He admitted to transporting more than 100 women and selling their bodies in 10- to 15-minute increments for $30.

            In 2010, Sanchez Hernandez took over leadership of the enterprise and trained an employee where to drive the prostitutes, how to collect proceeds, and how to avoid law enforcement. He advertised the prostitution business by handing out business cards at Spanish restaurants, check cashing stores, construction sites and day laborer sites. Eventually, the proceeds of the operation were sent to the enterprise’s former leader in Mexico.

            This case was investigated by the Transnational Gang Unit of Homeland Security Investigations, which participates in the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force.  Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Frank are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

            Founded in 2004, the Northern Virginia Human Trafficking Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies – along with nongovernmental organizations – dedicated to combating human trafficking and related crimes. From FY2011 to the present, 46 defendants have been prosecuted in 27 cases in the Eastern District of Virginia for human trafficking and trafficking-related conduct involving at least 32 victims.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Robert Chin, 65, of Silver Spring, Md., pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute heroin to young women in return for sexual favors, including enticing a child into engaging in sexual activity. 

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Debra Evans Smith, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Barry Barnard, Acting Chief of the Prince William County Police Department, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge T. S. Ellis III. 

            Chin pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor and conspiracy to distribute heroin, which both carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 5, 2013. Chin will also be required to register as a sex offender.

            According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, from 2007 until his arrest in November 2012, Chin conspired with others to bring heroin and oxycodone into the Washington Metropolitan Area.  Chin would then distribute the drugs to young women, including at least one minor, in return for sexual favors. In June 2012, Chin filmed at least some of the encounters with the minor girl in which she performed a number of sex acts with different individuals after receiving drugs from Chin. 

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Prince William County/Manassas City/Manassas Park Narcotics Task Force.  Assistant United States Attorney John Eisinger is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

            This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NORFOLK, Va. – Nathan Allen Dunn, 30, formerly of Virginia Beach, Va., pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and accepting more than $220,000 in bribes as a public official.  

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Otis E. Harris, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Chesapeake Region; and Michael P. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard. 

            “In two years, Mr. Dunn took more than $220,000 in bribes in exchange for using his position to award over-priced and false contracts for favored shipping companies,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Rooting out criminals who abuse the public’s trust strengthens the integrity of – and our confidence in – the government’s procurement process.”

            Dunn was indicted on May 23, 2012, by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, accepting bribes as a public official, and false statements.  Dunn faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced before Judge Mark S. Davis on April 29, 2013. 

            According to a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, from October 2009 to November 2011, Dunn was an active duty U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Petty Officer assigned as a Transportation Administrator at the Surface Forces Logistics Center in Norfolk, Va.   Dunn’s primary duty was to coordinate the shipping of large freight such as boats, trailers, and generators between USCG bases located throughout the United States.  Dunn utilized the Department of Defense Transportation Command (TransCom) automated system to bid out and then contract the shipments with authorized freight brokerage companies.  During the time frame covered by the indictment, Dunn’s co-conspirator owned twelve such freight brokerage companies, all located in Brookwood, Ala.   

            In September 2009, Dunn’s co-conspirator traveled to Norfolk to meet with Dunn and told him that in exchange for Dunn issuing USCG freight contracts to the co-conspirator’s companies, the co-conspirator would kickback a percentage of the profits to Dunn.  Dunn agreed and, shortly thereafter, the co-conspirator began offering monetary bribes to Dunn by providing him with debit cards linked to several of the co-conspirator’s business bank accounts.  To inflate the profit he made from each contract, Dunn would fraudulently manipulate various data entered into the TransCom computer system in order to artificially inflate the price of the shipping contracts he steered to the co-conspirator’s companies.  Dunn would also create false shipping contracts for shipments that did not exist, then award the contract and profits to the co-conspirator.  Since no freight was actually being shipped pursuant to these false contracts, the payment made to the co-conspirator from the USCG was total profit to the co-conspirator, resulting in Dunn also receiving a larger kickback.  Over a two-year period, Dunn received more than $220,000 in bribe payments from the co-conspirator.  The total fraud loss to the United States is more than $1 million. 

This investigation was brought as part of the Hampton Roads Procurement Fraud Initiative, a collaboration of defense investigative agencies, Inspectors General, and law enforcement dedicated to strengthening the integrity of the federal procurement system.

This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General, Washington Field Office.  Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen W. Haynie and V. Kathleen Dougherty are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

NORFOLK, Va. – The leader of the Internet piracy group “IMAGiNE” was sentenced today to serve 60 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride; Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge John P. Torres of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) in Washington, D.C.

Jeramiah B. Perkins, 40, of Portsmouth, Va., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen in the Eastern District of Virginia. In addition to his prison term, Perkins was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution.  Perkins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement on Aug. 29, 2012.

Perkins was indicted along with three other defendants on April 18, 2012, for their roles in the IMAGiNE Group, an organized online piracy ring that sought to become the premier group to first release Internet copies of movies only showing in theaters. 

According to court documents, Perkins directed and participated in using receivers and recording devices in movie theaters to secretly capture the audio sound tracks of copyrighted movies and then synchronized the audio files with illegally recorded video files to create completed movie files suitable for sharing over the Internet among members of the IMAGiNE Group and others.

Perkins admitted he took the lead in renting computer servers in France and elsewhere for use by the IMAGiNE Group.  He also admitted he registered domain names for use by the IMAGiNE Group, and opened e-mail and PayPal accounts to receive donations and payments from persons downloading or buying IMAGiNE Group releases of pirated copies of motion pictures and other copyrighted works. 

According to testimony by a representative of the Motion Picture Association of America, the IMAGiNE Group constituted the most prolific motion picture piracy release group operating on the Internet from September 2009 through September 2011.

Co-defendants Sean M. Lovelady, Willie O. Lambert and Gregory A. Cherwonik each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement on May 9, June 22 and July 11, 2012, respectively. Lambert and Lovelady were sentenced on Nov. 2, 2012, to 30 months and 23 months in prison, respectively. Cherwonik was sentenced on Nov. 29, 2012, to 40 months in prison.  A fifth co-defendant, Javier E. Ferrer, was charged in an information on Sept. 13, 2012, for his role in the IMAGiNE Group, and he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement on Nov. 29, 2012.  Ferrer is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2013.

The investigation of the case and the arrests were conducted by agents with HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Krask of the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Counsel John H. Zacharia of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case.  Significant assistance was provided by the CCIPS Cyber Crime Lab and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

This case is part of efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force) to stop the theft of intellectual property. Attorney General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers, and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation and hard work.  The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners and U.S. industry leaders. To learn more about the IP Task Force, go to www.justice.gov/iptf.

This investigation was supported by the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) in Washington.  The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government’s key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy. As a task force, the IPR Center uses the expertise of its 21 member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to IP theft. Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the public’s health and safety, the U.S. economy and our war fighters.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Jakia J. Carroll, 31, of Woodbridge, Va., pleaded guilty today to one count of failing to register as a sex offender.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Robert Mathieson, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the plea hearing before United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

Carroll faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, followed by a mandatory minimum of five years — and up to a lifetime — of supervised release when she is sentenced on April 12, 2013.

According to the indictment and other court records, Carroll was convicted in 2002 of abduction, assault and battery, and sexual battery in the Circuit Court of Prince William County. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, also known as the Adam Walsh Act, Carroll is considered a “Tier III” offender, the highest tier. She is required to register as a sex offender wherever she resides, works, or attends school for the duration of her life. Although she had been living in Woodbridge, Va., since December 2010, she knowingly failed to register as a sex offender in Virginia.

            The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Ryan K. Dickey is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.

RICHMOND, Va. – Cornelius I. Hayes, 56, of Blackstone, Va., was sentenced today to life in prison for the murder of James Stephenson Lee in the parking lot of the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Richmond, Va., on Feb. 22, 2012.

            Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffrey C. Mazanec, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Kim Lampkins, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after the sentencing by United States District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson. 

“Cornelius Hayes executed a friend in broad daylight; chased his girlfriend at gunpoint; and then shot at and left for dead, someone who had come to help,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Today’s sentence is just punishment for this senseless and callous violence that endangered everyone at the VA Medical Center that fateful morning.”

“Mr. Hayes’ cold-blooded and egregious actions against these victims, including innocent bystanders from the surrounding community, cannot be tolerated and merit today’s sentencing,” said Special Agent in Charge Mazanec.

            Hayes pled guilty on Sept. 25, 2012, to use of a firearm in relation to a violent crime causing the death of another.  In documents filed with the court, Hayes admitted to approaching Lee and a female in the parking of the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veteran Administration Medical Center on Feb. 22, 2012.  After a brief verbal confrontation with the female, Hayes brandished a .38-caliber revolver and shot Lee in the shoulder.  Hayes chased the female a short distance, only to return to Lee, and shoot him a second time in the head.  Lee died as a result of the gunshots fired by Hayes.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the Veteran’s Administration-Office of the Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorneys Peter S. Duffey and Erik S. Siebert prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.