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DC Woman Blew Elderly Maryland Grandpa’s $266K+ Savings On Luxury Life, Police Say
A DC woman is accused of draining her 95-year-old grandfather’s life savings so she could bankroll a luxury lifestyle, police in Maryland say.
Erica Hopper, 45, was granted Power of Attorney for her then-90-year-old grandfather in December 2020; but instead of protecting his finances, detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police say she used his money to splurge on herself.
Now she is facing prison time.
From November 2021 through June 2025, investigators say Hopper made more than $266,000 in unauthorized purchases — including over $25,000 in car payments, more than $49,000 i…
$1.4M Maryland Fraud: Couple Lived Large With Cruises, Exotic Birds, Home Renovations: Feds
A South Carolina husband and wife lived it up for more than a decade — jetting off on cruises, renovating their home, spoiling their pets, and racking up six figures at Walmart — all on the dime of a Maryland business they targeted in a $1.4 million fraud scheme, federal prosecutors said.
Robin Joseph, 64, of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, was sentenced on Monday, July 28, to 39 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in the massive embezzlement and identity theft scheme, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Joseph …
Former NFL Player, UVA Alum Turned Developer Charged With Embezzlement In Virginia: Feds
A former NFL player who was a standout at the University of Virginia is facing federal charges for alleged embezzlement, authorities announced.
Christopher Harrison, 52, was charged by a grand jury for allegedly misappropriating loans intended for the development of two projects linked to his real estate company.
According to the indictment, Harrison allegedly secured loans from Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust (CRBT) for $14,492,057 for the Model Tobacco Project in Richmond and $7,706,675 for the Whitaker Park Project in North Carolina.
Under the terms of the agreements, the former offe…
Basketball Coach Embezzled Money From Fairfax County High School Event: Police
A 33-year-old basketball coach employed by the Fairfax County Public Schools has been charged with embezzling district money, authorities said.
Drew Smerdzinski, of Herndon, is believed to have embezzled money from a school event at James Madison High School, county police said.
The coach, who became the center of an investigation in July, was charged by a warrant on Wednesday, Oct. 4, and surrendered on Thursday, Oct. 5, with felony embezzlement, police said.
Smerdzinski was released on an unsecured bond, and has been suspended from his position following the arrest.
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Former MD Mayor Who Died In January Accused Of Embezzling $2.2M From Schools
Kevin Ward, the late and former mayor of Hyattsville, allegedly stole over $2 million from D.C. charter schools, NBC4 Washington reported.
Ward, who died by suicide in January, used the money to buy personal property, such as luxury cars, instead of using it to buy computers and tablets for students, the website said.
Officials are working to seize about 10 cars, land in West Virginia, and rare sports memorabilia that Ward bought with the money he was responsible while serving as technology director, reports said.
Over the pandemic, Ward allegedly urged the schools to pay a Maryland techno…
Former DC Principal Gets 30 Months For Embezzling 175K Meant For Student Affairs
A former D.C. principal was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Wednesday, August 3, for embezzling $175,000, officials said. Bridget Coates, 49, of Falls Church was formerly the principal of St. Thomas More Catholic School, where her embezzlement scheme ran, depositing about 66 unauthorized checks, from 2012 to 2017, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The money was intended for the Home School Association, which is a program that funds student services and activities, officials reported.
Coates abused her access to the association's checks and deposited the money to her account …
Virginia Embezzlers Stole Over $250,000 From Electric Company: Police
Three Virginia men were charged on Wednesday July 27, after they embezzled thousands of dollars from an electrical company, officials said.
Francisco Paz, 35, of Leesburg, Jose Paz, 41, also of Leesburg, and Raul Ascencio, 43, of Manassas, had stolen $257,086 from Beckstrom Electric, starting back in December 2020, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
The trio falsified timesheets for fake employees through a third-party temp agency, police reported.
When the electric company notified law enforcement of potential embezzlement, police found that two of the company's …
School Employees Busted In $2 Million Laptop Embezzlement Scheme: Fairfax PD
Two Fairfax County school employees and a third man were arrested on accusations they planned on stealing 35,000 school laptops totaling $2 million, officials said.
Franque Minor II, 35, and Mario Jones, Jr., 21, were employees for the school system and worked at a warehouse, which they were using as a hub to auction off the computers illegally, Fairfax County Police said.
After their arrest on Thursday, July 14, police found Fadi Attyeh, 36, outside of the Industrial Road warehouse in a truck labeled Attyah Computer Recycling. Inside of it they found the laptops, police said.
These …
