NORFOLK, Va. – Eleven defendants have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to defraud credit union members in the Hampton Roads area.
According to court documents, since at least January 2023, fraudsters targeted victims in publicly accessible places and convinced victims, through deceit and intimidation, to hand over their mobile devices. Once the thieves obtained possession and control of a victim’s mobile device, they would access the victim’s bank accounts. The perpetrators then committed a variety of fraudulent actions, including unauthorized loan applications, financial disputes, monetary transfers, and withdrawals, and accessed the victims’ personally identifiable information.
Steven Carter Jones, III, 33, pled guilty on April 15 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison. In a separate case in the Eastern District of Virginia, Jones pled guilty on April 17 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Jones was convicted previously for, among other crimes, possession of a firearm by a violent felon, eluding police with endangerment, reckless endangerment, and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud.
Corey Deshawn Smith, 32, pled guilty on Dec. 5, 2025, to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced on Sept. 23 to two years and seven months in prison.
Persia Brown, 25, pled guilty on April 13 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on July 23 to four months in prison.
Troy Lee Davis, III, 26, pled guilty on Jan. 6 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on June 2 to two years and six months in prison.
Andrea Holley pled guilty on Jan. 22 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on May 6 to a year in prison.
Joy Davis, 48, pled guilty on Jan. 6 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on May 5 to two years and six months in prison.
Laterrance Octavia Parker Jr., 25, pled guilty on Jan. 23 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 6 to three years and two months in prison.
Jordan Pugh, 34, pled guilty on Feb. 11 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 11 to three years and four months in prison.
Lois Irene Staton, 33, pled guilty on Jan. 5 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on May 13 to six months in prison.
Jamaica Lavonta Sumner, 26, pled guilty on Feb. 3 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 6 to a year and nine months in prison.
Rodney Demetrius Thornton, 40, pled guilty on Jan. 5 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 13 to three years and six months in prison.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Matthew Lake, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Norfolk Resident Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton D. LaForge prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-cr-105 and 2:25-cr-128.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Eastern District of Virginia — U.S. Department of Justice press release.