Serial fraudster sentenced for second operation homeless scheme — gavel stock photo

RICHMOND, Va. – A previously convicted felon was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for conspiring to commit mail and bank fraud while on supervised release for a prior federal fraud conspiracy.

According to court documents, Gary Darnell Williams, 52, of Petersburg, organized and led a conspiracy to defraud several banks by stealing business checks from the mail and using those checks as exemplars to create counterfeit checks that he then recruited homeless individuals to cash. Williams undertook this crime just four months after completing a 10-year federal prison sentence for a nearly identical scheme. Over the course of six months, Williams stole business checks from the mail in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. He then recruited at least eight homeless individuals to cash at least 66 counterfeit checks totaling over $57,000 at financial institutions in Virginia and Pennsylvania. To recruit and retain these people, Williams rented them hotel rooms and supplied them with heroin. After successfully concealing these crimes from his federal probation officer, Williams absconded from supervision after he was charged with an unrelated state offense. Williams remained a federal fugitive until he was arrested driving two homeless check cashers to banks in October 2019. When arrested, Williams had 30 counterfeit checks purportedly drawn on five different business accounts totaling over $26,000.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin G. Cooke prosecuted the case.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.