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A racist Virginia landlord has been sentenced to nearly 20 years of jail time for harassing his Black tenants and stealing their identities to get additional COVID reduction cash.
In accordance with Legislation & Crime, David L. Merryman (59) was sentenced to 17 years in jail for wire fraud, aggravated identification theft, and race-based interference with housing and employment. Merryman owned greater than 60 rental properties in Newport Information and Hampton, a predominantly Black space in coastal Virginia.
In accordance with a DOJ press launch, Merry owned 39 rental properties in Newport Information and 23 extra in Hampton. His properties had been largely situated in low-income areas, and he primarily rented to Black tenants with restricted credit score and housing choices who couldn’t afford to dwell elsewhere. The properties had been additionally in horrible situation, with holes within the ceilings and partitions, leaks and rodent exercise, amongst different points.
From 2019 by January 2024, Merryman engaged in a scheme that included acquiring hire reduction advantages to which he was not entitled and fraudulently acquiring massive preliminary funds within the type of safety deposits, pay as you go hire, and different charges for rental properties that had been in poor restore, in response to DOJ. Merryman then proposed to potential tenants that he would lease the leases for longer tenancy phrases however meant to evict them as shortly as doable to restart the fraud cycle.
“David Merryman intentionally focused households of colour with restricted means and housing choices,” stated Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Lawyer for the Easter District of Virginia. “Landlords have a duty below the regulation to uphold the housing rights and defend the human dignity of the individuals to whom they hire. Mr. Merryman didn’t uphold that duty and is paying a heavy value for his racial discrimination and fraud.”
Merryman was accused of harassing Black tenants with racial slurs. In accordance with DOJ, Merryman harassed his minority tenants with slurs, feedback about slavery, mocking feedback, loss of life threats, and assaultive conduct associated to their race, all in violation of their proper to occupy and lease a dwelling free from racially motivated harassment, threats, and pressure. He additionally interfered with no less than one sufferer’s proper to take pleasure in employment free from racial threats and assaultive conduct.
“For years, David Merryman used his place of energy as a landlord and his tenant’s financial vulnerability to make a revenue,” stated Brian Dugan, Particular Agent in Cost of the FBI’s Norfolk Subject Workplace. “He not solely sought out tenants with few housing choices to hire however then continued to racially harass and topic them to unsuitable dwelling circumstances. His victims had been oftentimes moms or fathers who simply wished to maintain a roof over their household’s heads. We’re grateful for right this moment’s sentence, which showcases the intense nature of all these offenses, in addition to the FBI’s dedication to investigating the perpetrators of those crimes.”
Merryman additionally defrauded tenants by acquiring cash and property from them below the pretense that he would enhance circumstances, which he by no means meant to do.
“Merryman particularly sought to hire his derelict properties to weak minority tenants after which subjected them to abhorrent racial discrimination and different abusive conduct,” stated Rae Oliver Davis, Inspector Normal for the U.S. Division of Housing and City Improvement. “His legal actions had been in repulsive disregard for each the regulation and well-being of his low-income tenants. At present’s sentencing stops his cycle of fraud and abuse and brings Mr. Merryman to justice.”
In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Merryman filed fraudulent hire reduction purposes, used his tenants’ names and private data with out their consent, and solid their signatures.
To acquire housing help funds from the Division of Housing and City Improvement (HUD), Merryman additionally made false representations concerning the situation of his rental properties and whether or not he was receiving different funds that might be duplicative of federally funded rental help, in response to DOJ.
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