Newport News, Va. – Jovaughn E. Turner, a 21-year-old man who formerly resided in Hampton, was sentenced to 2 years in prison for his role in a fraud conspiracy as well as illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, from about May 2020 through September 2021, Turner joined others to submit fraudulent claims for pandemic-related benefits and counterfeit checks stolen from the mail. Turner and his coconspirators ran the fraud operation from an apartment they rented in Hampton.
The apartment, filled with proceeds of the fraud, was burglarized multiple times by a local gang. On September 26, 2021, a would-be robber approached Turner outside the apartment and brandished a firearm. Turner shot and killed the man in self-defense.
Following the shooting, police executed a search warrant at Turner’s apartment and located $28,500 in cash, a laptop computer, a special printer for counterfeiting checks, a money-counting machine, check stock paper, and a magnetic reader/writer/encoder for making credit and debit cards. Police also located approximately 20 counterfeit and stolen checks drawn against the bank accounts of businesses across the country.
In addition to check fraud, the defendant and his coconspirators submitted fraudulent claims for pandemic-related unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Turner claimed to have worked at Wendy’s and Prime Now LLC and falsely represented that he lost his employment because of the pandemic. In fact, he only worked briefly for these employers and voluntarily abandoned both jobs.
In addition to illegally possessing a firearm on September 26, 2021, when he shot and killed the would-be robber, he was again found in possession of a firearm during a traffic stop in Chesapeake on December 30, 2021. Police recovered a loaded Glock .40 caliber handgun under the driver seat during a search of the vehicle Turner was driving.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Coleman and was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.
Related Federal Cases
- Jeffrey Phares, Cemetery Fraud, West Virginia, 2023 · Virginia
- Sark Wire Corporation, PPP Fraud, Albany NY, 2023 · Pennsylvania
- James Pavlounis, Social Security Disability Benefits Fraud, New Roc… · Pennsylvania
- Kenneth Thom, Investment Adviser Fraud, New York NY, 2026 · New York
- Jeffrey Phares, Wire Fraud Scheme, Fayetteville WV, 2023 · Alabama
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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