Three Charged with Alleged ID Theft of Jail Inmates

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Delanio Vick, 31, and Teresa Gallop, 49, of Norfolk, and Jessie Davis, 20, of Portsmouth, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, making false statements in an application to a federally insured institution, and aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, these individuals conspired to obtain the personal property and identifying information of inmates housed in local jails. Conspirators inside the jails recruited inmates to retain the services of a fictitious legal services company, FamUnited, also known as Famm United or FamilyTranzitions. Other conspirators posed as paralegals during recorded jail calls with these inmates. During these calls, conspirators falsely promised to help the inmates obtain bonds in exchange for the release of their personal property from the jails’ custody. Some inmates agreed to release their property as instructed. For those who did not, conspirators submitted forged property release forms to the jail authorizing the release of inmate property to other conspirators. After obtaining inmate property, including wallets and cell phones, conspirators accessed and opened bank accounts in the inmates’ names. In some cases, conspirators created forged durable powers of attorney that purported to authorize them to act on the inmates’ behalf. Conspirators used these documents to add themselves as authorized users to the inmates’ existing bank accounts. Conspirators then used the compromised and newly created bank accounts to conduct fraudulent transactions, including worthless deposits and unauthorized withdrawals, through which they obtained money, goods, and services.

Persons who believe they may have information regarding this case are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 804-418-6104.

The defendants were initially indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 16, 2016. The superseding indictment returned yesterday includes additional charges. The defendants each face a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison to run consecutive to a maximum possibly penalty of 30 years in prison. The minimum and maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Robert B. Wemyss, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Michael Goldsmith, Chief of Norfolk Police; and Richard W. Myers, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin C. Gratton is prosecuting 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. 4:16-cr-88.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.