Updated on 11/16/20 — Prosecutors dropped charges against Hou in October. A reason was not given. The prosecutor’s office declined comment, noting that charges could be re-filed within a year.
Earlier: Fairfax County police arrested a man who offers private music lessons in the Tysons area for allegedly inappropriately touching a minor.
Vienna resident Jun Hou, 56, runs Jun Hou Classic Music LLC (8850 Lee Hwy), which provides private music lessons, mostly to children, and music camps in the summer, police said.
Police arrested and charged Hou with aggravated sexual battery on Monday (Dec. 23). “He was released on Dec. 30 after posting $10,000 bond,” police said.
Fairfax County detectives said they would like to hear from anyone who is concerned their child may have had inappropriate contact with Hou.
More from FCPD:
The investigation began in September when a juvenile disclosed being inappropriately touched by Hou. Our detectives worked to corroborate the allegations and received authorization from the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to obtain warrants…
Victim specialists from our Victim Services Division have been assigned to ensure that the identified victim receives appropriate resources and assistance.
Detectives are asking for anybody with information about this event to contact the Major Crimes Bureau at 703-246-7800, option 3. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Solvers by visiting http://www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org, or text-a-tip by texting “TIP187” plus your message to CRIMES (274637). Anonymous tipsters are eligible for cash rewards of $100 to $1000 dollars if their information leads to an arrest.
Photo via Fairfax County Police Department
Fairfax County police said gang activity may be behind the New Year’s Day shooting that injured three people in the Spring Hill area.
In an update today (Thursday), police said that two men and one woman had gunshot wounds after a shooting in the 8600 block of Westwood Center Drive early in the morning on New Year’s Day.
The three people were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released from a local hospital, police said today.
John Lieb, a police spokesperson, told Tysons Reporter that one scene was located in the parking lot of the Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, while another was in a breezeway of the buildings.
Lieb was not able to confirm if any of the people involved in the shooting had been staying at the hotel.
“The suspects were described as black males,” police said. “Detectives believe this shooting is gang-related.”
Map via Google Maps
After being stabbed in his own home, a 61-year old man from Vienna died yesterday at the hospital, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
The victim, Mohammed Hemmatian, was found by first responders at 2900 Edgelea Road with upper body trauma on Sunday morning (Dec. 29) around 8:30 a.m., according to a police report.
Another man, 27-year old Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda, was on the scene after the incident and is now facing murder charges, police said. Toshpulodzoda was originally taken to the hospital for an evaluation but was not injured; police say he later suffered a medical emergency at the hospital.
Both men lived at the address, in the Vienna area, according to FCPD.
The events leading up to the violence are still unclear.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the police by calling 703-246-7800 or submitting an anonymous tip. FCPD says this was the 13th homicide of the year so far in Fairfax County.
Homicide investigation underway after fatal stabbing in Vienna. #FCPD #FairfaxCounty https://t.co/EGezNRBeGH pic.twitter.com/rFCqPQ5ZL1
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 29, 2019
Vienna police say that a man said his credit card was charged for a larger amount than what he ordered at Hunan Delight.
The man got food delivery from the restaurant at 276 Cedar Lane SE on Dec. 11, police said. “He paid for the food with a credit card and gave the delivery driver a cash tip,” according to the report.
More from the police report:
A few days later he noticed the total for the order on his credit account was higher than what he had authorized. The restaurant provided the citizen with a copy of the receipt. The citizen advised that the receipt was not the same receipt that he had signed and that his signature was forged on the receipt they had.
Image via Google Maps
The police departments for the Town of Vienna and City of Falls Church want people to be careful about phone scammers — especially ones pretending to be local police.
Falls Church officials put out a press release in late November warning locals of “a recent phone scam trend that spoofs, or fraudulently displays, actual Falls Church Police Department phone numbers on caller ID.”
“To further convince the recipient that the caller is a representative of the Falls Church Police Department, the scammer impersonates an actual Falls Church Police Department official and advises the victim to look up the phone number where the call is originating from,” the press release said. “The scammer then uses intimidation tactics, such as the threat of arrest, to demand payment of money purportedly owed to the government.”
Vienna police have also been dealing with the same issue.
“It is very strange,” Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, told Tysons Reporter.
Since people are becoming more aware of the IRS phone spoofs, Vazquez said that scammers have realized that those calls aren’t as effective. The fraudulent police calls “are another variation of the same thing,” he said.
Vazquez said he doesn’t know how scammers get the police department numbers to display as the caller ID.
Fishy Phone Calls
A review of the weekly crime highlights from the two police departments found several reported cases of residents receiving calls from people saying they were with the local police department.
In late November, Falls Church police received a report of “unknown suspect(s) purporting to be a retired Falls Church police officer called community members and falsely stated that they had outstanding warrants and demanded money.”
A man came to the Vienna Police Station in September “advising he was on the phone with someone claiming to be a Vienna Police Officer and they were attempting to defraud him of money,” according to a crime report.
“An officer attempted to speak to the caller; however, the caller hung up when the officer identified himself,” the report said. “The phone number the call initiated from was the Vienna Police non-emergency number.”
How to Stay Safe From Scammers
Vazquez advised that if people get a suspicious call claiming to be from the police department, Social Security Administration, IRS or other entity that they ask for the caller’s name, then hang up and call the organization the caller says they’re from to ask to speak to the caller. That way, the person can verify whether or not the person works there.
Falls Church police advise a similar strategy, urging people to call the Falls Church police’s non-emergency number 703-241-5050 (TTY 711) to confirm if the caller is a legitimate official.
“Indicators of scam calls are threats, orders to not hang up and other statements about immediacy,” Falls Church police say. “Never give out personal information — such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, or passwords — in response to unexpected calls if you are at all suspicious.”
Both police departments have said they do not make calls in an attempt to collect money.
“The City of Falls Church Police Department will never call and request payment for fines, traffic tickets, or bail over the phone,” the Falls Church press release said. “All these transactions are conducted by the respective court systems and never over the phone. Police will also never call an individual to threaten arrest or remove an arrest warrant.”
More from Falls Church police:
Caller ID spoofing is a scam that deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise the scammer’s identity as well as appearing as an official organization or entity. Spoofing is often used as part of an attempt to trick someone into giving away valuable personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.
Scammers will oftentimes know the victim’s full name and their extensive background, such as birth date and names of family members.
You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed.
People who receive suspicious calls can file a report about attempted fraud with the Fairfax County Police Department and visit the Federal Communications Commission’s “Caller ID Spoofing” webpage for information on spoofing scams.
Photo via Facebook
After a chase, Fairfax County police caught the woman they say robbed a CVS near Glory Days Grill.
The incident happened around 9 p.m. on Monday (Dec. 16) at 3053 Nutley Street.
Police say a woman went into the store and demanded money from the cashier.
“A woman matching her description was later seen in the area of another CVS in Annandale and officers attempted a traffic stop,” according to the report. “The driver sped off and hit another car before fleeing on foot.”
Police chased and caught a 35-year-old woman from Delaware and charged her with robbery and felony hit and run.
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police arrested a man they say was unlawfully recording women at Tysons Corner Center.
The incident happened on Saturday (Dec. 14) shortly before 7 p.m.
Police spotted a man, who had previously been banned from the property, “unlawfully recording two women,” according to the crime report.
A 45-year-old man from Maryland was arrested for two counts of unlawful filming and trespassing.
In a separate incident, Fairfax County police are looking for the woman who allegedly stole merchandise from the Target (2905 District Avenue) in the Mosaic District.
The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. on Sunday (Dec. 15).
“As the suspect exited the store, she assaulted the loss prevention officer,” police said. “The suspect is described as Hispanic or Asian.”
Clinton Portis, a former running back in the National Football League, was charged in connection to an alleged health benefits scam, according to the Department of Justice.
Portis and the nine former NFL players allegedly committed multi-million dollar fraud from expensive medical equipment that police say was never purchased or received, according to a press release from the Justice Department yesterday (Thursday).
Portis, who was a running back for the Washington Redskins, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud.
Fox 5 DC reported that Portis surrendered to authorities in North Carolina today (Friday).
Portis sold his McLean home in 2013 for $1.65 million, according to Fairfax County records. A Sports Illustrated story about Portis in 2017 said he was living in an apartment in Northern Virginia.
The Department of Justice says that Portis is a McLean resident.
More from the Justice Department:
The alleged fraud targeted the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan (the Plan), which was established pursuant to the 2006 collective bargaining agreement and provided for tax-free reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical care expenses that were not covered by insurance and that were incurred by former players, their wives and their dependents – up to a maximum of $350,000 per player. According to the charging documents, over $3.9 million in false and fraudulent claims were submitted to the Plan, and the Plan paid out over $3.4 million on those claims between June 2017 and December 2018…
“The defendants are alleged to have developed and executed a fraudulent scheme to undermine a health care benefit plan established by the NFL — one established to help their former teammates and colleagues pay for legitimate medical expenses,” said U.S. Attorney Robert M. Duncan Jr. for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The defendants allegedly submitted false claims to the plan and obtained money for expensive medical equipment that was never purchased or received, depriving that plan of valuable resources to help others meet their medical needs. We have prioritized the investigation and prosecution of health care fraud in our office, and we appreciate the partnership we share with the Criminal Division and the FBI in pursuing these important matters.”
“This investigation serves as an illustration of the rampant and deliberate scams against health care plans occurring daily throughout the country,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the Miami Field Office. “In this case, these fraudsters pocketed money from the Gene Upshaw National Football League Health Reimbursement Account Plan that was intended for former NFL players who are ill or infirm. Over 20 FBI field offices participated in this investigation which demonstrates the level of commitment we have to rooting out this type of fraud.”
Two separate indictments filed in the Eastern District of Kentucky outline two alleged conspiracies involving different players related to the same scheme to defraud the Plan. Those charged in the indictments are the following:
Robert McCune, 40, of Riverdale, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, nine counts of wire fraud and nine counts of health care fraud.
John Eubanks, 36, of Cleveland, Mississippi; Tamarick Vanover, 45, of Tallahassee, Florida; and Carlos Rogers, 38, of Alpharetta, Georgia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of health care fraud.
Clinton Portis, 38, of McLean, Virginia; Ceandris Brown, 36, of Fresno, Texas; James Butler, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia; and Fredrick Bennett, 35, of Port Wentworth, Georgia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud.
Correll Buckhalter, 41, of Colleyville, Texas, and Etric Pruitt, 38, of Theodore, Alabama, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud. In addition, the government has filed notice that it intends to file criminal informations charging Joseph Horn, 47, of Columbia, South Carolina, and Donald “Reche” Caldwell, 40, of Tampa, Florida, with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
The indictments charge that the scheme to defraud involved the submission of false and fraudulent claims to the Plan for expensive medical equipment — typically between $40,000 and $50,000 for each claim — that was never purchased or received. The expensive medical equipment described on the false and fraudulent claims included hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cryotherapy machines, ultrasound machines designed for use by a doctor’s office to conduct women’s health examinations and electromagnetic therapy devices designed for use on horses.
According to allegations in the indictments, McCune, Eubanks, Vanover, Buckhalter, Rogers and others recruited other players into the scheme by offering to submit or cause the submission of these false and fraudulent claims in exchange for kickbacks and bribes that ranged from a few thousand dollars to $10,000 or more per claim submitted. As part of the scheme, the defendants allegedly fabricated supporting documentation for the claims, including invoices, prescriptions and letters of medical necessity. After the claims were submitted, McCune and Buckhalter allegedly called the telephone number provided by the Plan and impersonated certain other players in order to check on the status of the false and fraudulent claims.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The investigation included efforts by various FBI Field Offices and Resident Agencies, including: Augusta, Georgia; Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama; Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Columbia, South Carolina; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Jackson, Mississippi; Lexington, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida; Newark, New Jersey; Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and Newport Beach, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Washington, D.C.
Trial Attorneys John (Fritz) Scanlon, Alexander J. Kramer and Thomas J. Tynan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul C. McCaffrey and Andrew E. Smith of the Eastern District of Kentucky are prosecuting the cases.
Photo by Joe Gratz/Flickr
An employee at Giant (359 Maple Avenue) said a child concealed four bags of candy and left without paying for them, according to Vienna police.
The incident happened around 6 p.m. on Monday (Dec. 2).
“The employee notified the police after the juvenile’s parents refused to come to the store to pick up their child,” according to the police report. “An officer responded, counseled the juvenile and arranged for the mother to respond to the store and pick up the juvenile.”
Police said that the store management did not want to pursue charges.
Photo via Facebook
Tysons Reporter is back with its new monthly crime map showing where the incidents occurred in Fairfax County Police Department’s McLean District Station.
We went ahead and pulled together all of the incidents noted for the McLean District Station in FCPD crime recaps from Nov. 1-30, weeded out the ones that are not in the Tysons Reporter coverage area and plotted them in the interactive map above.
The McLean District Station covers crime in Merrifield, Dunn Loring, Falls Church, McLean, Tysons and Great Falls.
The map only includes information from FCPD and does not include reports to the police departments in the Town of Vienna or the City of Falls Church.
Use the icon in the top left corner of the map to toggle between the various types of crimes displayed.
Fairfax County’s weekday police recaps are not comprehensive lists of every incident and the addresses are approximate. FCPD also notes that information in the recaps “is generally based on initial reports made to the police department.”
Anyone with information about any of these crimes should call 703-691-2131 or 1-866-411-TIPS(8477).
