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 said two employees at Freedom Hill Elementary School — and the school’s former principal — have been indicted by a grand jury in connection to assaults on students with intellectual disabilities.
Major Crimes Bureau Commander Edward O’Carroll said at a press briefing today that “18 counts have been handed by a grand jury.”
The two former employees — Cylmeera Gastav and Cecilia Maria Benavides — face charges for allegedly assaulting non-verbal children with intellectual disabilities, O’Carroll said.
Benavides, 59, of Alexandria, was hired by FCPS in 2000, while Gastav, 48, of Herndon, was hired full-time in 2019 after working for FCPS part-time, O’Carroll said.
They were both charged with felony cruelty and injuries to children and misdemeanor assault and battery.
All of the assaults happened at the Vienna school between April and September this year, O’Carroll said.
The investigation began in mid-September after a teacher reported seeing bruises on students, police said.
Police said they believe six children were allegedly assaulted by the Gustav and Benavides.
“We believe with all certainty that all of the victims in this case have been identified,” O’Carroll said, adding that people with any information about the case are urged to contact the police.
O’Carroll said that complaints of suspected abuse were reported to the former principal, Scott Bloom, “however those complaints were not subsequently reported to Child Protective Services or to law enforcement that is required by law.”
Bloom, 39, of Reston, was indicted for allegedly failing to report the assaults.
Bloom was originally hired by FCPS in 2012 as the principal for Freedom Hill Elementary School, according to the Falls Church News-Press. He was hired as the principal for Haycock Elementary School in Falls Church in August and was placed on leave in September involving a personnel matter.
O’Carroll said that the current school administration at the elementary school reported the concerns once they made aware of them.
Marty Smith, a spokesperson for Fairfax County Public Schools, said the school put the two female employees on leave during the investigation.
FCPS assigned new teachers to the classrooms of the former employees and let families know about the staffing changes, Smith said.
The case is an active investigation, and FCPS is cooperating with the police, Smith said.
“We are deeply saddened by this situation,” Smith said. “While the investigation is still underway we are committed to doing all we can to prevent similar actions from happening in the future.”
O’Carroll declined to answer questions about whether or not the victims were in a restraint and seclusion situation or what kinds of injuries the victims sustained.
“The actions of these offenders is shocking. It’s unacceptable,” O’Carroll said.
Image via Google Maps, three mugshots via FCPD
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
The Vienna Police Department says a bottle of bubbly was stolen from the Giant along Maple Avenue.
The incident happened around 7:45 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9.
“On Dec. 11 [Wednesday], store security personnel reported a shoplifting incident… when a man stole a bottle of champagne,” police said.
Missing a credit card? Someone turned in a credit card that was found in the parking lot near the Michaels Store (311 Maple Avenue E.) on Wednesday, police said.
P.S. Happy Friday the 13th!
Photo via Facebook
Updated 12/13/19 — Falls Church police said today (Friday) they reclassiffied the incident as a “suspicious incident.”
More from police:
While this incident is suspicious in nature and police would still like to speak with the individual, officers have determined there was no criminal act and doesn’t meet the criteria for attempted abduction. However, this incident serves as an example of the importance of speaking to your children about their personal safety and what to do when approached by a stranger. Parents are encouraged to report suspicious activity to police.
Falls Church police are asking for the public’s help to identify a suspect linked to an attempted abduction of a child outside Aldi.
Police said a man approached a child outside of the grocery store, told the child to leave with him and then left when the child’s mother returned.
The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. on Monday (Dec. 9) outside of the grocery store at 133 Hillwood Avenue.
Police said the incident was reported to them on Thursday (Dec. 12) and that the suspect is wanted for questioning.
“The suspect is described as a black male, about 6′ tall, medium build and wearing a gray hooded jacket with black sleeves, light blue jeans, and white sneakers, carrying an umbrella, and possibly wearing a baseball hat,” police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 703-248-5053.
Fairfax County police arrested a woman from California for allegedly making fraudulent credit card charges at a Marriott in Tysons.
The incident occurred around 10 a.m. on Friday (Dec. 6) at 8028 Leesburg Pike.
“The victim, who resides in Florida, called the hotel to report that someone was using her credit card and making fraudulent charges at the hotel,” according to the police report.
When officers arrived at the hotel, they were directed to the reserved room and charged a 28-year-old with credit card theft, the report said.
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).
Fairfax County police say that the 60-year-old man who was struck by a vehicle in Tysons on Monday night has died.
Police said in an update today (Wednesday) that D.C. resident Abraham Feldman was crossing Old Courthouse Road at the intersection of Lord Fairfax Road around 7:19 p.m. when he was struck by a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe traveling eastbound on Old Courthouse Road through the intersection.
Police said Feldman “was in the vicinity of the crosswalk” when the crash occurred. He was hospitalized with serious injuries and died earlier today, police said.
“The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with detectives,” police said. “Preliminarily, alcohol does not appear to be a factor for the driver or the pedestrian. Detectives have not yet determined if speed was a factor for the driver.”
Police are asking that anyone with information contact the Crash Reconstruction Unit at 703-280-0543.
Image via Google Maps
(Updated at 12:15 p.m.) Fairfax County police say Georgetown Pike is closed in McLean due to downed wires.
Georgetown Pike is closed between Bellview and Kimberwicke roads, police tweeted shortly before noon today (Tuesday).
“Officers are on scene to assist with traffic control,” the tweet said. “Please use an alternate route.”
A vehicle crash caused the utility pole to fall down, according to an alert from Fairfax County. Repairs on the pole are expected to take about four to six hours, the county said.
TRAFFIC ALERT: Georgetown Pike is closed between Bellview Rd and Kimberwicke Rd for downed wires. Officers are on scene to assist with traffic control. Please use an alternate route. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/aFtutQEb0B
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) December 3, 2019
First photo via FCPD/Twitter, map via Google Maps
