An Alexandria couple pleaded guilty to conspiracy in relation to filing false tax claims for their Maryland-based auto body repair shop, and have been ordered to pay $2.2 million in restitution.
Ercin Kalender, 60, and Lizette Kalender, 44, own Butch’s Auto Body in Capital Heights, and were ordered to pay the $2.2 million as part of their plea agreement, according to an announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Alexandria Police are looking for a man who bought a luxury car with a fake driver’s license at Lindsay Lexus of Alexandria.
On August 29, the suspect walked into the dealership and picked out a 2021 Lexus LS400 and provided the salesperson with an Oklahoma driver’s license, according to police. The customer also allegedly told the salesperson that he’d recently relocated from Oklahoma to Richmond.
A 31-year-old Fairfax County man was arrested for credit card theft and fraud last month after allegedly finding a wallet in the parking lot of the Bradlee Shopping Center and going on a spending spree.
On May 24, the male victim reported to police that he was the victim of fraud after losing his wallet in the parking lot. He said that someone made $423.99 and $1,097 purchases at a Target store in Falls Church, and then $314.96 at a T-Mobile store at 247 S. Van Dorn Street.
Alexandria Police are investigating the scamming theft of more than $15,000 from a woman who says she believed she was applying for a Community Services Block Grant.
The victim reported that she was contacted by a Facebook friend on July 24, and was unaware that her friend’s profile was compromised. The supposed friend told the victim that she was eligible for a $100,000 CSBG grant, and then referred her to a grant agent named Thomas Johnson, police said in a search warrant affidavit.
Scott Shaw named Chamber’s 2021 Business Leader of the Year — “For the last six years, he has served as a partner of Alexandria Restaurant Partners (ARP). ARP operates nine restaurants including The Majestic and Theismann’s Restaurant… Outside of the restaurant industry, Shaw established Founders Hall and co-founded ALX Community. His community involvement includes serving as Chair of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership. In this position… In 2017, Shaw founded the Tall Ship Providence Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving Alexandria’s rich maritime history through educational programs and entertainment.” [Zebra]
Rep. Beyer says he’s working on securing stormwater management funding for Alexandria — “I’m also working to secure more federal funding for storm and sewer projects in ALX in upcoming infrastructure legislation.” [Twitter]
Alexandria Police have identified a suspect allegedly responsible for the theft of two credit cards at the Get Air Trampoline Park at 340 S. Pickett Street in the West End.
An employee of the park, who has not been charged, admitted to police that he was working alone when he found two credit cards and then charged each $1,000 to his personal Cash App account.
What an absorbing week in Alexandria.
Just as the ball gets rolling with reopening and loosened restrictions, the pandemic rears its ugly head. With coronavirus transmission levels climbing, Alexandria is once again recommending that residents go back to wearing face masks indoors.
A former receptionist at Landmark Honda posted bail after being arrested earlier this month for stealing and using a customer’s credit card.
The incident occurred in January, and the suspect — a 25-year-old Alexandria woman — was arrested on July 6. She was charged with credit card theft and credit card fraud, six months after the manager of the dealership reported several fraudulent charges.
An Alexandria woman pleaded guilty to money laundering as part of a scheme to defraud investors in a church-related investment business.
The fraud involved Brenda Millender and her husband, Pastor Terry Millender — leaders of the Victorious Life Church — soliciting themselves as leaders of a Christian organization brokering Nigerian oil sales. The pair were convicted in 2017.
The Alexandria Fire Department has identified a suspect behind the intentional burning of a truck in the city’s impound lot (5249 Eisenhower Avenue) on July 30.
An Arlington County police officer witnessed the incident, and reported seeing two cars enter the north parking lot of 3575 Potomac Avenue.
ALXnow Launches Today — This is the first post on the first day of ALXnow. Our goal is to bring Alexandria timely, relevant and useful local news coverage that uncovers unreported stories and drives community conversations. We hope you like it.
About the Morning Notes — Morning Notes posts like this one will be published on most weekday mornings and will highlight notable social media posts, press releases and the reporting of other news outlets. Most posts will be shorter than this one — we’re catching up! Each Morning Notes post will also feature a photo from around town, often from our staff photographer, Jay Westcott. You can submit photos for possible publication too: email us at [email protected] or tag us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
