Owner Of "Luitie's Lair" Sentenced To 40 Months In Prison

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Lutgarda Mueller, 65, of Gloucester, Virginia, was sentenced today to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a fine of $5000.00, and forfeiture of more than $500,000.00 in illegal proceeds for participating in a conspiracy to distribute drug analogues and launder money.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.

Mueller pleaded guilty on August 4, 2014.  According to court documents, Mueller, also  known as “Lutie,” owned a store known as Luite’s Lair in Gloucester.  She was selling “Spice” from the store over a period of years. At the time of her arrest she was found to have $600,000 in cash in her house. During the sentencing hearing, Gloucester Sherriff Darryl Warren testified that Lutie’s Lair was one of five stores selling “Spice” in Gloucester County in 2012.  During 2012 and 2013 the Gloucester County Sherriff’s Office received over 600 calls for service related to “Spice.”  Of those, 83 were calls to Lutie’s Lair.  Sherriff Warren went on to testify that “Spice” related calls for service in 2012 and 2013 created an “unsustainable strain” on his office’s ability to serve the Gloucester Community. He concluded by noting that with the five stores, including Lutie’s Lair, being out of business, the calls for service related to “Spice” have decreased to virtually zero.

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Virginia State Police and the Gloucester Sherriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt prosecuted the case

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:14-cr-7.