Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.
Maybe you had a cold once and decided not to take the medicine, maybe you skipped that advisory to “finish all of these meds”, whatever the reason — your medicine cabinet is full of old prescriptions you don’t need and don’t know what to do with.
Or maybe it’s just me? I have a bag I’ve been looking to dispose of for a while, so I found a list of places to take old prescriptions to safely dispose of them.
There are national “take-back” days and the Town of Vienna usually has theirs in October and April. The National Take Back Day for 2020 is Saturday, April 25.
If you’re looking for something other than that day, try one of these locations:
- Spectrum Healthcare: 10580 Arrowhead Drive, Fairfax
- CVS in Merrifield: 8124 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church (near the Five Guys and Elephant Jumps)
- INOVA Emergency Room Pharmacy: 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church (green metal box in the Pharmacy of the ER)
- Fairfax County Policy Station in McLean: 1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean
- Fairfax County Police Station in Fairfax: 12300 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax
A McLean man linked to a neo-Nazi group has been sentenced for possessing firearms as a drug user and lying to buy a semiautomatic rifle.
Andrew Thomasberg, a 21-year-old who is a member of the Atomwaffen Division, purchased a semiautomatic rifle for a third party, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“He transferred that firearm to that third party after purchasing it,” the press release said. “Thomasberg also possessed at least four firearms while unlawfully using controlled substances, including marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and opium.”
Thomasberg pleaded guilty in November to possessing firearms while being an unlawful drug user and making a false statement in order to illegally purchase a firearm
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today that he was sentenced to one year in prison.
More from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia:
According to court documents and testimony, Thomasberg, who has a prior criminal conviction for a dangerous firearms offense, was associated with white supremacist organizations, such as Vanguard America, Atomwaffen Division, and Patriot Front.
In text message communications, while Thomasberg possessed firearms and was a regular drug user, he glorified racially motivated violence and referred to mass shooters as “saints.”
Additionally, Thomasberg informed law enforcement that only one day before he was arrested, he had submitted an application to join Patriot Front. Patriot Front is “a white supremacist group whose members maintain that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them alone.”
Photo via Joe Gratz/Flickr
The Vienna Police Department is looking for the man who allegedly exposed himself to a woman on Sunday (Feb. 16).
The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. in the parking lot at 106 Center Street N., which is near the Vienna Elementary School.
The woman, who was in her vehicle when the incident occurred, told police that she saw a man on the sidewalk near the building and that he exposed himself to her and began walking toward her, according to the police report.
“The woman immediately left the area and called the police,” police said. “Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the man.”
In a separate incident, Vienna police arrested a 25-year-old D.C. man for alleged prescription drug fraud.
Police said that the man tried to fill fraudulent prescriptions at the Vienna Drug Center (150 Maple Avenue W.) three times between December and February.
It is unclear if the man was able to fill a prescription on Dec. 17, but police said that he obtained fraudulent drugs from the pharmacy between Feb. 10-14.
On Tuesday (Feb. 18), an employee at the pharmacy reported to the police that the man was trying to fill a fraudulent doctor’s order, police said.
Police arrested and charged the man with prescription fraud and transported him to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
Photo via Facebook
The head of the Fairfax County Police Department said police took “proportionate, legal and necessary levels of use of force” following the shooting an armed suspect in Falls Church.
Fairfax County police said earlier today that a Special Weapons and Tactics Team officer shot a suspect “brandishing an assault-style weapon” last night in a house in the 7600 block of Lee Landing Drive.
In an update this afternoon, Chief Edwin Roessler Jr. said that the SWAT officers were serving a narcotics search warrant and two arrest warrants for felony distribution of marijuana and failure to appear for a probation violation in another jurisdiction.
“To serve the high-risk warrants safely, the SWAT team made multiple verbal announcements of their presence upon tactical entry of the home,” Roessler said.
David Vo, a 24-year-old Falls Church resident, confronted SWAT officers in the kitchen, pointing an assault-style weapon at them, according to police.
Vo was struck with one round in the leg, which “neutralized his threat,” before the SWAT team continued the search of the house, Roessler said. Vo was taken to a hospital and treated for the injury before being transported to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
Two of Vo’s kids, who are under the age of 4, and his girlfriend were in the house and unharmed during the incident, Roessler said.
“After the home was secured by the SWAT team, multiple unsecured firearms were in plain view and other narcotics were found in the home,” Roessler said.
Roessler said that the SWAT team was chosen to conduct the search after a risk assessment of the warrants determined the search to be “high risk” because of Vo’s “history of domestic assault and shooting at a vehicle.”
Capt. Jason Allegra with FCPD’s Narcotics Division said that two assault-style weapons, a pistol and narcotics were found at the house.
Allegra said that Vo will face the following additional charges:
- possession of a firearm by a felon
- distribution of marijauna while possessing a firearm
- possession of a firearm with schedule 1 or 2 drug
- ammunition possession by a felon
- felony distribution of marijuana
- drug possession schedule 1 or 2
The Major Crimes Bureau is conducting a criminal investigation into the use of force and the Internal Affairs Bureau is conducting an administrative investigation. The Police Auditor is also independently reviewing the incident, according to the police department.
“The name of the officer will be released by Chief Roessler within 10 days,” the press release from earlier today said.
The involved officer is a 16-year veteran of the police department, who, per department policy, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the criminal and administrative investigations, according to the press release.
“In my professional opinion, this is proportionate, legal and necessary to defend the lives of the officers as an assault weapon was pointed at the officers,” Roessler said about the shooting.
Roessler praised the officer on the SWAT team for the quick response.
“I support the pulling of the trigger by my officer,” Roessler said.
Roessler would not comment on whether or not Vo’s weapon was loaded or how many rounds were fired by the SWAT officer.
“We knew we were going into a violent situation,” Roessler said. “No lives were lost.”
A McLean man linked to a neo-Nazi group pleaded guilty today (Tuesday) to possessing firearms as a drug user and lying to buy a semiautomatic rifle
Andrew Thomasberg, a 21-year-old who is a member of the Atomwaffen Division, is accused of purchasing a semiautomatic rifle for a third party, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“He transferred that firearm to that third party after purchasing it,” the press release said. “Thomasberg also possessed at least four firearms while unlawfully using controlled substances, including marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and opium.”
“In federal court in Alexandria on Friday, FBI Special Agent Shawn Matthews, who testified that his focus is domestic terrorism, said Thomasberg took part in the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017 with a neo-Nazi group called Vanguard America,” The Washington Post reported.
Thomasberg was arrested in September, according to The Washington Post story.
More from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia:
“Lying to the FBI is a federal crime, and Thomasburg lied to hide an additional crime,” said Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI works with our partners to take criminals possessing illegal firearms off the streets.”
According to court documents and testimony, Thomasberg has association with white supremacist organizations, such as Vanguard America and Atomwaffen Division.
Thomasberg pleaded guilty to making a material false statement in relation to the purchase of a firearm and to possessing firearms while being an unlawful user of or addicted to controlled substances…
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy R. Slater, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Mariano and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr. are prosecuting the case.
Thomasberg will be sentenced on Feb. 28, 2020 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Photo via Joe Gratz/Flickr
The McLean District Station collected the second-highest amount of prescription drugs during the 18th Annual Drug Take Back Day.
The annual event aims to curb safety and public health issues from unused or expired drugs. The event took place on Saturday (Oct. 26).
“Unused or expired over-the-counter or prescription medicine left unsecured are susceptible to misuse and can contribute to overdoses and accidental poisonings,” according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
All of the Fairfax County police district stations participated, along with the Wegmans in Chantilly. In total, 1,246 pounds of unused and expired prescription drugs were collected, according to the police department.
“Since the implementation of the drug take back boxes in November 2017, we have collected 4,183 pounds of prescription drugs,” according to the police department. “This includes 3,448 pounds of prescription drugs collected to date in 2019. These amounts do not include the Drug Take Back Day collections.”
The West Springfield District Station filled 12 bags with 249 pounds of drugs, followed by the McLean District Station, which had six bags with 210 pounds of drugs.
People who want to dispose of unused medicine — excluding needles, liquids, illegal drugs, ointments and inhalers — can drop it off at take back boxes available year-round at the eight police stations.
A Maryland man picked up drug and weapon charges at a CVS Pharmacy in McLean, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Police say the man was arrested for obtaining drugs by fraud, along with other charges, after calling in a fraudulent prescription.
According to the police report, the incident occurred at the McLean CVS (1452 Chain Bridge Road) on Sunday (May 19) morning:
A pharmacist received a fraudulent prescription and notified our officers. The man arrived to pick up his medicine and was arrested. A loaded handgun with an extended magazine was found concealed in his backpack. [The man] was charged with obtaining drugs by fraud, carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a loaded firearm in certain specified localities and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute.
Photo via Google Maps
Three men were arrested in a Tysons Corner Center parking deck after allegedly passing counterfeit bills at the Lord and Taylor store.
Store employees called police to report the crime around 8 p.m. Wednesday. Officers stopped the men in their car and recovered additional counterfeit currency, narcotics and brass knuckles, according to police.
More from FCPD:
Andres Moreno, 34, Warren Missouri, 26 and Michael Allen 42, of Baltimore, Md. were arrested for possession of schedule I or II narcotics, carrying a concealed weapon, forging bank notes, obtaining money by false pretenses, possession of marijuana and obtaining identifying information to avoid arrest.
Also Wednesday, the McLean Islamic Center, which recently won approval increase parking, was burglarized by a man entering the building through the window.
The man was described as 6′ tall, wearing a dark jacket and jeans, and driving a four-door beige car, according to FCPD.
Photo courtesy FCPD
Agora Restaurant Update — Mediterranean restaurant Agora is “putting the finishing touches on a second location that will land in Tysons Corner near Founding Farmers in February (7911 Westpark Drive).” [Eater]
Hallucinating Man Causes Early Morning Scene — Residents near the Fairlee neighborhood “called for help when they saw a man yelling outside of their building. Officers arrived and discovered the man was hallucinating after taking drugs. The man continued to yell and refused to follow the officers’ instructions. The man then tried to run away but was caught, arrested, and taken to a local hospital as a precaution.” [FCPD]
Vienna Getting New A/V Gear — “Vienna Town Council members on Dec. 10 approved a $164,187 contract with Human Circuit to provide upgraded audio-visual capabilities for the town government’s cable channel. Four years have elapsed since the town did a major upgrade of its audio-visual equipment, said Information Technology Director Tony Mull.” [InsideNova]
McLean Citizens Reject Ramp Closure Resolution — “After debating nearly two hours over a pair of conflicting resolutions regarding the Virginia Department of Transportation’s proposal to temporarily close an on-ramp to northbound Interstate 495 during weekday afternoon peak hours, McLean Citizens Association (MCA) board members on Nov. 7 rejected both resolutions.” [InsideNova]
Fire at Madison High School — A fire broke out in a classroom at Vienna’s Madison High School Friday night, but was brought under control by a sprinkler system. [Twitter]
Vienna Legislative Priorities — “The Vienna town government’s draft 2019 legislative agenda looks decidedly similar to ones of yore and continues to ask the General Assembly to maintain adequate state funding and not further reduce local authority.” [InsideNova]
New Retail Concept Coming to Mall — “Macerich this weekend is launching a concept known as ‘BrandBox’ at Tysons Corner Center just outside Washington, D.C., one of the most valuable shopping malls in the U.S. There, it will house six brands, including apparel retailer Naadam and makeup company Winky Lux, for six to 12 months. Each brand will have its own mini store inside an 11,000-square-foot space, with new retailers funneling in and out each year.” [CNBC, Glossy]
Opioid Epidemic Discussion in Vienna — “It might be a scary topic, but still an important conversation to have: TOV’s Club Phoenix is hosting a parent discussion at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, on Understanding the Opioid Epidemic.” [Twitter]
