(Newport News, Virginia) – Lanaire E. White, 38, of Hampton, Virginia, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release for his participation in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, theft of government property, use of an unauthorized access device, and felon in possession of a firearm. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $299,000.00.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Brian D. Miller, Inspector General, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, and Alex J. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement following sentencing by the Honorable Mark S. Davis.
According to the evidence introduced at trial, the defendant convinced his former wife, Coleen Newton-White, to systematically steal GSA Fleet Credit Cards from the Fort Monroe Motor Pool. He then found numerous customers from the Newport News and Hampton area to purchase gasoline and sometimes diesel fuel for $1.50 a gallon and pay White in currency or checks. The credit card bills were paid by the Government and amounted to losses in excess of $300,000.00. The defendant belongs to the Moors, a separatist group which does not recognize federal jurisdiction. Coleen Newton-White pled guilty to her participation in the wire fraud conspiracy in May and was sentenced on August 12, 2011 to forty-one months in prison.
This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General, General Services Administration, and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and Howard J. Zlotnick 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 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 http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.
